Digimon Tamers Crimson: Knights of Grim(デジモンテイマーズクリムゾン：グリムの騎士)
by Mrguy22594
Summary: After Simon's battle with Vamdemon in the Digital World, The Royal Knights plan an invasion in Shinjuku. But as they fight the Royal Knights, fate takes a dark turn as the true mastermind behind Yggdrasil's actions come into the fray. Can the Digimon Tamers overcome Yggdrasil once and for all? Find out in this story! Completed.
1. The Invasion Begins!

The following is a non-profit Fanfiction. Digimon is owned by Toei Animation, Bandai and licensed by Saban Brands. Please support the official release, by buying the DVDs.

Digimon Tamers Crimson Knights of Grim Episode 1:The Invasion begins...

June 2nd 2014 In a cemetary within Shinjuku...

A teenage boy with brunette hair, a black sleeveless shirt, blue jeans and red sneakers was paying his respects to a grave that reads **Clara Ackerman 1975-2009**. He also seemed to have a dark green crystal-like arm and goggles that had a red gasket over the blue lenses, with a black strap on his head. He looked at the grave after leaving behind some flowers nearby the tombstone. This boy was Simon Ackerman and he had finished his adventure with the rest of his group known as the Digimon Tamers. His partner, a Digimon that was mostly red with white on the chest and abdomen was a reptilian-like dinosaur with what appeared to be a spiraling symbol on his chest. The strangest feature on this creature was his bat wing-like ears that seemed to give him very sensitive hearing. He was known as Guilmon, and he was here with his partner to also pay respects to the person who lays here. Simon gets up and says to the tombstone "Hi mom. So... It's been a long time since the last time we talked huh? I don't mean like that time where you... Ya know, saved me and Guilmon from Daemon. I meant as in like... Me talking to your..." Simon was having a bit of a hard time wording out what he was saying to his mother, but then he shook his head and continued "Ah forget it! So anyway, in case you didn't already know this, I have this little team... Where I, along with Guilmon am teamed up with..." Simon then tries to count how many tamers are on the team including the new members from Xros Heart, another group of teenagers teamed up with Digimon.

"We have about eleven other people on this team of mine, besides me of course! And all of them are not just my friends... But we're also like a second family... And all that jazz." Simon said after confirming how many other people were a part of his group besides himself. "I would tell you all about them... But I think that would take too long, and dad says that I shouldn't be here talking to you all day. All that would accomplish is getting me depressed again... Ma, to be honest... I still really miss you to this very day. But now, I realize that dwelling on past mistakes... Isn't the best way to go about it. And now, I don't even have to worry about that Hazard thing you guys were concerned about. A little interesting thing is that... I didn't want to be the leader of my own team..." He went silent for a bit before hypothetically responding "I know right?! I just wanted Henry, who ends up being my second in command to lead because well... He's a lot smarter than me. But after a while, I began to see what people saw in me as a leader... Though, one thing still bugs me. Am I really this perfect person? Am I just that one guy, who always knows what to do and what to say regardless of the situation? Not a lot phases me these days and... It kind of worries me." Simon felt a little downcast but then a man with spiky blonde hair came out of a car and approached Simon. He seemed to wear a black suit, with dress pants and dress shoes to match. He put his hand on Simon's shoulder and said "Simon, it's time to go now." Simon turned to face the man and responded "Okay dad, I'll be waiting in the car!" He then got into the car and Guilmon followed his Tamer slowly into the vehicle.

Kittan Ackerman kneeled before the grave, and laid down his flowers before saying "He's right you know. Everything has been going a lot better nowadays." He then turned around and headed to the car. Before he got in, he looked at the grave one last time and said "But to be honest... I wish I could have been there on that day to save you." He then got in the car and drove away from the cemetary. Though Simon already knew that, there was going to be a large scale invasion on the human world. He kept that in the back of his mind, until the invasion actually started. Two months after the defeat of Vamdemon, Simon and the gang had been preparing for the inevitable day where, they would have to fight what had been the catalyst for Guilmon arriving in the human world... The Royal Knights. The Digital World may have been under subjugation by a vampire with power greater than an average mega level. But the Royal Knights were far from the average mega level Digimon. There was also another organization against Xros Heart simply known as, The Bagra Army. They were planning on invading another part of the world so that they can enact an event that would give their leader Bagramon, the power necessary to accomplish his overall objective. So now, it would seem that our Tamers have quite a lot to deal with... Besides school and other non-academic pursuits. Jianliang Wong aka Henry has been tapping into the power that has been revealed to him when fighting Reapermon, Vamdemon's right hand man. All while testing his limits, now that he has full control over it. His partner Terriermon was always curious as to why he always glows when doing this... But he never really asked since Henry is a bit uncertain of this ability himself.

Rika Nonaka had her hands full trying to "bond" with her mother. Though unlike before, she seems less reluctant to spend time with her. Renamon had grown a liking for herbal tea, especially the kind that Seiko Hata makes for her. The bipedal fox also seems to have developed some form of affection for Guilmon... Though neither of them will admit it. Rika like Simon does visit her father's grave to pay her respects to him. And the residential Digimon Queen always keeps up her card skills for whenever there would be another Digimon on the loose... Or for the next card game tournament. Nia Esthiem still tried to build up some strength due to her distaste in looking feminine. Even though her father said his reasoning for not wanting her to pursue the life of an officer, she still wishes to build herself up. Nowadays, she is the third strongest member of the Digimon Tamers along with her partner Impmon who has been very loyal to Nia. It may be somewhat strange to them when they Spiral Matrix Evolve into Beelzemon, they simply treat it like a minor inconvienence. Impmon has been given ground rules when around Nia... Even though Digimon are genderless, he is still a male-ish Digimon. Impmon fears and respects Nia's father who is the commisioner of Shinjuku's police force. Nia had also acquired firearms from the Digital World that she often uses during target practice at the police station. Xiaochun Wong aka Suzie was actually practicing a bit of her acting skills while roleplaying with Lopmon, who looked a lot like Terriermon... Except she was brown and pink with three horns instead of one. Another thing Suzie does is practicing martial arts, and though she isn't as good as Henry is... She still can hold her own pretty well in a fight. Like when Puppetmon had tried using Lopmon against Suzie.

She had taken immediate action and nearly destroyed the wooden Digimon. The only reason that he was spared from becoming a chair by her hands, was because Lopmon's safety seemed to be a bigger priority in her head. It may have proven to be a mistake, but in the end... She was saved by Henry and co. She also has to deal with being a major part of one of three Archangels, which she didn't have a whole lot information on. Two tamers known as Daisuke Motomiya and Ken Ichijouji were members of the same soccer team. Though Daisuke's partner V-Mon also found a way onto the team... Mostly through his ability to kick and headbutt a ball into the net. As the months go by, V-Mon has learned how to not just rely on his power alone and pass the ball to the other players on the team. Wormmon, Ken's partner seemed to sit on the sidelines and watch. It's not really due to Ken not wanting Wormmon on the team. It's just that Wormmon feels that since he isn't as fast as V-Mon, he wouldn't really be able to do anything to benefit the soccer team. Daisuke and Ken may end up playing center positions in most soccer games, they do occasionally play other offensive and defensive positions. Daisuke still has some issues with the unecessary attention he's been recieving from fan girls... Mostly because of his tan skin which is kind of unusual to most people in Japan. Ken has been trying to help Daisuke through his worries on that regard, while confiding with Daisuke his problems towards his previous guilt. Daisuke ends up getting the most help with Hikari Kamiya who is currently his girlfriend, and the sister of another Tamer named Taichi Kamiya who had recently returned from the Digital World after six years.

Hikari had known Daisuke around the same amount of time that Taichi had been gone from the human world. When they met, she had initially mistaken him for her brother. Nowadays, she and Daisuke are quite close and they do confide in one another. Though she is somewhat attracted to Daisuke's tan skin, she still loves him based off of their close friendship and nothing else. Her partner Gatomon often doesn't understand why Miko, Hikari's house cat finds entertainment in chasing a small dot she'll never catch... Despite being a cat herself. Gatomon may be a bipedal cat, but she is actually a champion level Digimon unlike everyone else. She actually finds some enjoyment out of messing with Agumon, Taichi's partner. Though considering they've lived together for at least a month, you could say that they've done this song and dance quite a number of times. Hikari and Daisuke meanwhile have been going out on various dates recently and their relationship was further cemented with Kari trusting Daisuke with her most important treasure... Her brother's goggles. Even though this makes Daisuke the second "Gogglehead" of the group, he makes the most out Hikari's trust and takes good care of Taichi's goggles. Takeru has been practicing some basketball which is a sport he greatly excels at. Though he has pointed out that Simon does kind of suck at the sport, he does try to help him improve his jump shot. He's been helping out at his house more with his mother and has a bit of a mixture between the sweet boy he used to be... And the somewhat jerk that he became when he thought Simon had stolen his best friends. What ended up helping him was his Digimon partner Patamon who is essentially the good side of Takeru's conscious. Though he does like spending time on his Tamer's head, he is probably another one of the various powerhouses amongst the Digimon Tamers.

Last but certainly not least, there are the new members of the Digimon Tamers simply known as Xros Heart. They were a team that consisted of Hikari's brother Taichi and two human generals named Taiki Kudo and Kiriha Aonuma. Taiki and Kiriha have been friends for a long time, so they didn't have a lot of issues working together... Especially in the Digital world where things got quite hectic on regular intervals. They were partnered up with Shoutmon, who is currently Digimon King and Greymon, who alongside Taichi's Agumon provided the muscle for the team. Taiki also happened to be a "Gogglehead" like Simon and Daisuke. However, he had a mentality that said "I can never turn my back on them!" which prompts him to save just about anyone he can. Even though both Kiriha and Taichi tell him that he can't save everyone, he still tries to. Simon, who once had that mentality tried to convince Taiki to move away from that path... To no avail. Greymon feels a little odd, only being able to communicate with Kiriha, Taiki, Taichi, his father and the other Tamers via the Xros Loader. But he still feels content with life at the Aonuma residence. Shoutmon had finally settled in with Taiki and his mother adjusting to the simple life of a human family. Taichi meanwhile... Has a lot of studying to do since the day Simon told him about the upcoming exam near the end of August. The other members of Xros Heart may have studying to do as well, since they too have been gone for years in the human world... Taichi has it worse. Everyday, when it's not training to fight against an evil Digimon was all studying and at least the essential meals in between. Agumon at first tried to stop this studying that his Tamer goes through... But Yuko had given him quite a death glare. To this day, Agumon has been scared of Taichi's mother and now he is reluctant to try and help his Tamer out of his current predicament.

Though somewhat apart, these Tamers, Generals and their Digimon partners have fought together against many threats within the Digital World. And now, the world will depend on their combined strength to destroy Yggdrasil, the Royal Knights, Bagramon and the one who had brought them all together in this joint effort.

* * *

Within Yggdrasil's tree...

Yggdrasil had approached Grima on the throne who appeared to be smiling about something. "My lord Grima, I believe it's time to unleash our main forces." Yggdrasil said to Grima who responded "Interesting. How long should it take the Royal Knights to arrive in the Human World?" Yggdrasil had looked at all the Royal Knights who were assembled for this confrontation before answering Grima. "Considering they are all somewhat large Mega Levels... I'd say two days through this method." Grima then stood from the throne and said "Excellent... Though I would prefer it to be immediate, the time necessary is acceptable at best." Yggdrasil looks down in a bit of shame and responds "Unfortunately, the only one who would produce immediate results is Bagramon. And he's planning to attack around the same time our knights arrive on Earth." Grima walks around a bit and then responds "Yes, of course. Bagramon is indeed planning an attack around that time as well. However, he might not succeed with only half of his army and six of his Death Generals backing him up." UlforceVeedramon approached Yggdrasil from where he was, which was next to Omnimon. "Lord Grima... Perhaps I should accompany Lord Bagra on his attack. Just to ensure victory on his end." Grima smiled at UlforceVeedramon and said "You show great initiative UlforceVeedramon. But what about the others? Do you think they can handle the Digimon Tamers on their own?" Omnimon stepped up and said "Relax Lord Grima... The Tamers and their Digimon shall experience defeat at our hands. Besides... You entrusted us with your power mostly to ensure victory over even the mightiest of Mega Level Digimon." Grima then sat back down on his throne and said "Fine then Omnimon, lead your excursion to the Human World. But, if you don't return here... All that will end up doing is proving a point I had."

Omnimon sighs and responds "I know. And you needn't worry about me holding back. Any good that was within me is now gone." Yggdrasil then opens up the portal necessary to fit all of the Royal Knights, save UlforceVeedramon who is now headed for Bagramon's fortress. "The pieces are coming together. And this invasion is only further proof of my predictions. No matter where fate may take us, or what choices we make to alter fate... We'll always end at that exact point. On that exact day in two years time... It starts on the day I had placed my will within you. Fate, can never be deterred. Those who defy it, will be doomed to an early grave. The only way to prevent that early grave... Is to embrace what fate has in store for you. Unfortunately, for Simon Ackerman that means he is doomed to this never ending cycle. And like I said... I'm always going to win our little game..."

* * *

Meanwhile in the Kamiya residence...

Sixteen year old Taichi Kamiya was looking at a whole stack of books that his mother had prepared for him. "Mom, can I file a complaint?" Taichi asked Yuko who responded "Not until you're done with today's studies. And remember, after your studies there will be a quiz on all of this." Taichi sighs and slumps on the coffee table. Hikari walks into the room and asks "Mom, is it okay if I help Tai with his studies?" Yuko then answers "Sure, just don't get him distracted okay?" Hikari nods in response and starts to help Taichi with his studies. Gatomon meanwhile, was busy messing with Miko by having her play with her tail. Agumon looks at this and asks "You are aware that if you're not careful, you could end up losing your tail ring to a house cat right?" Gatomon shrugs her shoulders and responds "Eh, so what? At least I know where to look for the ring. And Miko doesn't try to eat it." Agumon sighs and then asks "Don't you get bored by all of this peace? I mean, how long have you been here in this world?" Gatomon ponders the answer to that question and then answers "I've been in this world since September 15th which means it's been eight months. Guilmon, Terriermon and Renamon have been here a lot longer than I have. Which means that, they've had more than enough time to adjust." Agumon pouts and later responds "What I miss from the Digital World was all of the excitement of battle! Where we fight for supremacy and see who's truly the strongest! All you guys seem to worry about is this school nonsense! How long before an actual battle comes our way!" Gatomon hearing Agumon's ranting simply responded "Give it a couple days. I'm sure we'll have some kind of Bio-emergeance headed our way." Agumon was a bit confused by Gatomon's statement, and raised a hypothetical eyebrow. "They're what happens when a Digimon enters the real world from the Digital World."

Agumon at first seemed like he understood what Gatomon meant... But then he said "I still don't get it." Gatomon sighed in response and looked at her tail, which now had Miko biting and clinging onto it. "Miko, what did I say about biting?" Gatomon asked Miko who let go of Gatomon's tail and dropped to the ground. There was a bit of knocking on the front door. "Hold on! I'll be right there!" Yuko said before opening the door to see Daisuke and V-Mon standing outside. "Hi Mrs. Kamiya. May we come in?" Daisuke asked Yuko who cued him to come into the apartment. "Hey Kari, how's Tai's studying going?" Daisuke asked Hikari who then responded "It's been going well. Though for Tai..." Taichi then interrupted and said "She's been quizzing me Every. Single. Day. Do you know what's that like? All the time, outside of a hypothetical Digimon battle it's always studying, like I'm doing right now! And unless a Digimon shows up, I can't even hang out with Taiki and the others!" Daisuke was a little nervous of Taichi due to his angry ranting... Until his mother gave Taichi a death stare that prompted him to get back to work. V-Mon got off of Daisuke and approached Gatomon and a somewhat bored Agumon. "Finally! Another warrior arrives! Tell me V-Mon, is there a Digimon that needs to be defeated? Or do we need to save someone? For what other reason could there be in you appearing before us?" Agumon asked V-Mon who responded "Daishuke thought it'd be fun just to hang out with Kari and Tai. Alsho, I came to shee if Gatomon would like to hang out as well." Gatomon then responded "Alright V-Mon, I'll take you up on your offer. Just don't do anything stupid alright?" V-Mon nodded and they engaged in a bit of conversation about V-Mon's recent soccer practice sessions at school and Agumon felt like he had lost faith in all Digimon kind.

* * *

Meanwhile at the Takaishi residence...

Takeru Takaishi was spending some time on the internet with Patamon on top of his head. "So what'cha doing right now TK?" Patamon asked his Tamer who responded "Just looking through some social media to see if that video of me was posted anywhere." Patamon was even more curious and asked "What's the video about TK?" TK then responded "Somebody apparently made a video of me playing basketball, and decided to make a montage video set to a song from Space Jam." Patamon then pondered who would actually post something as strange as that. "Do you think Simon could've done that?" Takeru shook his head and responded "Nah, he wasn't even there. So how could he record it Patamon?" Patamon then looked around the room wondering where could a hidden camera be. "Look Patamon, Simon may be paranoid... But he's not that insane. Besides, he knows that that kind of thing is illegal." Patamon then got back onto Takeru's head and stayed there... Until he got bored looking at his Tamer's computer and decided to go see what his mother was up to. Patamon then noticed that Natsuko was on the phone with somebody. "Yes Yamato, the rumors are true. Taichi is actually studying right now in his apartment." Patamon was a bit curious about this Yamato that Natsuko mentioned and decided to ask her when she got off the phone. "Wait, you're coming over next week? But why? Usually Takeru would visit you, but why so sudden?" Patamon then got even more curious about this conversation. "Alright then, just tell your father beforehand and we'll arrange for you to visit next week. Love you, bye!" She then hung up the phone and Patamon approached Natsuko. "So... Who's Yamato?" Patamon asked Natsuko who at first seemed a bit surprised that Patamon was right next to her, but got over it when the little Digimon asked that question. "Patamon, that was Takeru's brother Yamato Ishida."

Patamon was a bit confused by who Natsuko was referring to, until he remembered the family photo of Takeru with his brother and the rest of his family. "Oh yeah! I saw that picture! So, is this Yamato guy actually coming to visit us?" Patamon asked Natsuko who responded "Yes he is, just see if you can keep this a secret from Takeru okay? I want to surpise him next week." Patamon nodded and flew back up the stairs to Takeru's room. He was still busy looking for the video with no luck. But Patamon just decided to go back to laying on top of his head just for kicks. "Where'd you go Patamon?" Takeru asked his partner who responded "Oh, nowhere really. I was bored for a bit, but now I'm much better." Takeru shrugged and continued looking through the web for the video...

* * *

Meanwhile at the Wong residence...

Henry was busy practicing some tai-chi maneuvers with Terriermon, who was mimicking Henry's movements. "Terriermon, when did you have an interest in martial arts?" Henry asked Terriermon who responded "Actually, I got a bit interested since you've always practiced with your sensei at the dojo. It's just that I needed to get some of the moves down, that's all." Henry later said "That makes sense. But hey, how about you come to me if you're up for a lesson alright buddy?" Terriermon was somewhat excited and said "As long as I get to learn how to kick some butt! I'm fine with what you've got to teach me brother!" They laughed for a bit before continuing with their mirror session. Suzie and Lopmon meanwhile were busy praciticing what could only be seen... As an interpretive dance. Though it's mostly Suzie doing some kind of special dance with a baton while Lopmon waited on cue to jump down. When Suzie was done with the dance, Lopmon jumped down and asked "You've summoned me lady Xiaochun?" Suzie then responded "Yes, oh great and powerful Lopmon. I ask that you fend off our enemies before we make our escape!" Lopmon then took a fighting stance and said "As you wish Lady Xiaochun!" However, before they could continue Suzie decided to stop the recording on her webcam. "That was even better than last time Lopmon!" Suzie said hugging her partner. "I'm glad I could help Suzie. Though, I fail to see what's the purpose in all of this filming." Lopmon responded to Suzie with a bit confusion. "Lopmon, I wanted to send these auditions to a theater class in high school. That way, I can further my acting career into the eventual show business." Lopmon somewhat understood a little better and then asked "But why did you want to be an actor Suzie? That I never really understood." Suzie thought about the answer for a bit, before responding "I think it's because I was always into roleplaying as a kid and Terriermon was very helpful in that regard. So, maybe I should take that to the next level."

Lopmon then said "And that's what made you want to be an actor? I would have thought maybe something different, since humans do tend to change their dreams every so often." Suzie shook her head and responded "Wanting to be an actor is also what prompted me to take up martial arts. And so, I'd practice everytime Henry's not at the dojo. Honing my skills, so that one day I could be like all those actors who would do their own stunts!" Lopmon ponders that last bit and asks "But won't that be like risking your own life?" Suzie casually responds "So, like everyday life?" Lopmon thought about what Suzie just said and shrugged her shoulders...

* * *

Meanwhile at the Ichijouji residence...

Ken was busy cleaning his room and organizing the items in his room, while Wormmon watches in confusion. "Ken, how many times must you organize your room before you're satisfied?" Wormmon asked Ken who responded "Until everything is where it needs to be. Also, I need to make sure that my room looks appealing to a guest who might inspect it." Wormmon was still a bit weirded out by his partner's sudden need to be neat in almost every way... Whereas Daisuke, isn't really that neat at all. "I guess it's like V-Mon said, Opposites do attract." Later on, Ken's mother calls him down for an errand. "I need you to get me some rolls of bread at the Matsuki bakery. Here's a list of the kinds I want you to buy." She gives him a list and he, along with Wormmon head out to the bakery where he assumes Simon is currently working at. As Ken was walking down the street, he thought about how things are nowadays compared to right after Osamu's death. Now, he feels that his conscious has become clear. Though that was mostly thanks to Daisuke, who was willing to be his friend despite everything people and his other friends had told him. It was as though Daisuke was a sign that, people might be able to accept him as a new man. Wormmon had listened to Ken's story and had a bit of worry for the boy. But he knew that Ken had good friends to make sure he stays on that path. He arrives at the bakery, only to find that Simon isn't there and it's just Mei and Takehiro Matsuki. "Um... Excuse me, but has Simon been here?" Ken asks Mei who responds "Good afternoon Ken! The thing is that Simon only works during the summer. And it's volunteer work until he turns 16." Ken shrugged his shoulders in response to that statement. "Anyway, I need some bread rolls for my mom." Mei then looks at the list Ken had and responds "Alright, be there in a sec." Ken waited a few moments before he was given a bag of bread. "Thanks and here's the payment Mrs. Matsuki." Ken dropped off five hundred yen before leaving the bakery.

Ken then decided to head home with Wormmon. But, before he could continue down the block... He saw a small portal in the sky. "Wormmon, what do you think that could mean?" Ken asks his partner who responded "It's finally begun..." Ken was confused by what Wormmon meant... Until he remembered that the Royal Knights would be invading Shinjuku. "I'd better let the others know!" Ken said before running towards his house since he conveniently forgot his cell phone at home. When he got home he gave his mom the bag filled with bread before heading to his room. "Are you gonna call the others?" Wormmon asked Ken who responded "Yeah. But unless something comes out, we can't really do anything about it."

* * *

Meanwhile with Simon...

Simon and Guilmon were with Nia and Impmon eating some sea salt ice cream. "I feel like this ice cream gets a bit better with age." Nia says to Simon who responds "Well, at times it is nice to eat... But at other times, I feel like I could eat something a little less cold. And a little less depressing." Nia was about to ask what Simon meant, but then she remembered what the ice cream meant to him at least. "Well, maybe at some point we could go to a resturant or something." Nia suggested to Simon who responded "Actually, that sounds like a great idea... Though I hope I could find us a good one." Nia smiled and said to him "Simon, maybe I should be the one to pick it out." Simon shrugged and responded "Yeah, makes sense. And you know something... I think we should pick places back and forth. I pick one place, and you pick the other. How's that sound to you?" Nia looked to the distance and responded "Well, if we make a list of places we want to go together, then that'll make it easier right Simon?" Simon nodded in response and pondered a hypothetical list of places he wants to go to. Guilmon and Impmon meanwhile were busy watching their Tamers on their date. "Impmon, do you think that there's hope for me someday?" Guilmon asked Impmon who responded "What kind of question is that? Of course there's hope for you buddy! You've got this warrior's instinct inside of you. A warrior who seeks out the desires within oneself, and tries his damndest to answer all of his unanswered questions!" Guilmon was a bit confused by Impmon's sudden answer. "Look, I just get these hammy responses from plays I've seen alright? Nia sometimes takes me to those with her dad, who for whatever reason gets invited to attend one. And I just so happen to be inspired by some of the speeches those people make." Guilmon thinks about Impmon's previous statement and wonders if it's really true. However, before he could ponder this... He sensed a strong prescense from the portal that had spawned in the sky.

Simon was on the phone with Ken who had told him what he saw. "Alright, I'll send a message to the other Tamers and we'll investigate it." Simon said to Ken before sending a text message to all the other Tamers. "Alright Nia, it looks like our listing will have to wait." She nodded in understanding before following Simon with Guilmon and Impmon not too far behind...

 **Could the Royal Knights actually appear before our Tamers? Or is this the result of time travel? Find out Next time, on Digimon Tamers Crimson: Knights of Grim!**


	2. The Invasion Begins! Part 2

The following is a non-profit fanfiction. Digimon is owned by Bandai, Toei Animation and licensed by Saban Brands. Please support the official release, by buying the DVDs.

Digimon Tamers Crimson: Knights of Grim Episode 2: The Invasion Begins Part 2

Simon and Nia, along with their partners were the first ones to meet up with Ken and Wormmon underneath the portal that appeared over Shinjuku. The others had arrived shortly afterward with their partners, thinking that another bio-emergeance is about to happen. However, when they all looked up and saw that nothing in particular was coming out of the portal... They all got impatient and worried at the same time. But then, a news van appeared in the scene where it seemed that a reporter was cueing the camera man to point up and focus on the portal. "It would appear that, instead of the fog that would signify a Digimon's appearance or as the government calls them "Wild Ones". A portal has just appeared in the skies of the Western Shinjuku district. We aren't sure if this is a different kind of Digimon Bio-emerging into the real world or if this is the sign of aliens... But one thing is certain: Whatever is coming out of that portal may end up destroying our fair city. However, it seems that there are some Digimon Tamers within the area, I'm gonna see if I can get some information out of them." Simon and co. then realized that the reporter was about to ask them about the portal. "Excuse me, young man? As a Digimon Tamer, you must know something about this portal and what it contains. So then, what do you know about it?" The reporter asked Ken who hesistated before responding "All we know is that, soon some of the most powerful Digimon in all of the Digital world might be making an appearance. And we plan to do something about it." The reporter was somewhat intrigued by Ken's honesty. He then asked "Boy, what's your name?" Ken hesitated before saying "My name is Ken Ichijouji. And I was the one who saw the portal first before inviting my friends."

Simon and co. at first debated about stopping Ken and leaving the scene... But Daisuke said "You know, maybe this could give us some good publicity." Simon pondered this thought before remembering that, some people had bad experiences with wild Digimon rampaging all across the city. "Alright Daisuke, we'll speak with this reporter if he's interested. But we only give our names and what we do. Nothing more, nothing less." Daisuke nodded and they both headed in Ken's direction. The others were wondering why their leader was going along with this. "Why are we giving this information to these reporters anyway? I mean, couldn't they fabricate the footage if they record us?" Taiki asked the others who then pondered if this actually was a good idea or not. Taichi then thought that it was a good idea, since maybe some of his friends don't know if he's still alive or not. "I think we should do it. Not for the public attention, just to make sure that they have our backs in regards to these Digimon attacks." Taichi said before stepping forward. Henry and Rika shrugged their shoulders before she said "My mom's made get in front of cameras before, so at least this is of my own volition." Henry then responded "Terriermon always did want to be famous in some way." Terriermon then angrily said "Hey! What's that supposed to mean huh?" Henry pat Terriermon on the head and said "Momentai little brother." Terriermon sighed and forgot about what his Tamer had just said regarding being famous. Suzie was quite a bit happy to be on camera due to her desire of being an actor. "C'mon Lopmon! I'm sure it'll be fun to be interviewed!" Suzie said to her Digimon, who shrugged and said "Hey, why the heck not?" Taiki felt like he should say something to prevent any of his new friends from being interviewed... But Kiriha puts a hand on his shoulder and says "Taiki, at some point you gotta tell Akari that you're back. Alright?" Taiki tried to put up an argument... Only to sigh in defeat. Hikari had to drag Takeru along since he was a bit conflicted with this idea. "TK! Wait up!" Patamon said flying to his partner, only for Gatomon to face-palm at this whole scenario.

* * *

The whole time they were being interviewed, their parents and Jun were watching the news... Since it interrupted what they were intially watching. However, Mei and Takehiro were a bit excited to see that Simon was on TV, despite him not being their child. Simon did not tell them that he worked at the bakery, since he feared it would give people the wrong impression of Mei and Takehiro. Janyu was watching the news from Hypnos and was quite a bit surprised to see his children on the news with their Digimon. Ken's parents were quite shocked to see Ken on the news again, after what had happened to Osamu and found it hard to watch their kid on the news. When Taichi went up he said something that got the attention of most people he knew. "Hello, my name is Taichi Kamiya... And I want to let my friends, whom I haven't seen in a long time know that... I'm still alive and I just got back from something big in the Digital World." The reporter confused by why Taichi had said this asked "Is there anything else you'd like to say Mr. Kamiya?" Taichi shook his head and the reporter continued on with interviewing the others. Kittan had a neutral reaction to Simon's decision to make his team public to all of Shinjuku, though he'd ask why later on. Leeron pondered why he did this as well, and Dayaka was doing his best to keep Leyte from leaving the room and trying to slap Simon for doing this. Erwin seemed to watch this with a neutral expression as well, since he knew that he'd wait for his daughter to come home before saying anything about this matter. Rumiko seemed so excited that her daughter was now on TV, while Seiko had thought that she might have been a bit too excited. "Mom, this is probably the best day ever!" Rumiko said to Seiko who had sighed and just accepted her daughter's excitement. Jun watching the news said "Daisuke, you interrupt my soap opera for this! Next time, it had better be for something important... Like maybe you making time magazine or something!" She then went back to reading Hunger Games: Catching Fire. Natsuko meanwhile didn't really know how to react to her son being on the news. Though, something told her that this was only the start of what would become a bit of a trend with him and his friends. Mrs. Kudo was busy cooking a meal for Shoutmon who's jaw was dropped straight to the ground.

Mr. Aonuma took this bit of news in a rather intriguing fashion. Rather than over react to his son being on the news, and being interviewed... He looked a bit surprised that his son is now suddenly on TV. Even though he hadn't come back for three years, he had yet to be questioned about it. After the reporter was done interviewing, he told the cameraman to stop recording when they made the cue for the news to go back to the main focus. "Thank you for your cooperation kids. And make sure not to get into too much trouble!" The reporter said before getting into the van with the cameraman. As the van was leaving, Taichi ended up asking "Was this literally the first time we were all interviewed?" Taiki was confused by what Taichi meant by this being the first time being interviewed. "I mean, think about it! Literally years have gone by since we've left and only now has anyone asked us about our story!" Taiki and Kiriha started to ponder this thought and everyone but Ken lampshaded this whole scenario. "Come to think about it, this was the first time any of us, let alone all of us were interviewed. And Digimon being real is pretty much public knowledge at this point!" Henry said regarding the whole thing. Simon then added "I've been interviewed as the Shadow Tamer... But not really as myself." Ken later said "I've been interviewed before... But it was regarding my older brother Osamu after the accident he was in." Ken felt depressed mentioning Osamu, but Daisuke went up and gave him some reassurance. "It's okay Ken. We're here for you." He said to Ken who responded "Thanks Daisuke, It's just that... I haven't thought about Osamu for years. But now, after meeting all of you... I feel like I've become even more of the new man that I set out to be!" Wormmon then went up to Ken and said "Of course you are! We're all your friends now!" Ken then picked up Wormmon and hugged him. Everyone was a bit in awe of how adorable the whole thing was... Until Taichi said "Uh guys, the portal?" Simon and co. then looked back up to the portal which didn't seem to change at all. "I'd need to find out how long we have until that thing opens." Simon said regarding the portal. But then, Yamaki and Janyu had shown up and Yamaki said "No need. We've already determined it..." The others were very skeptical of this declaration and Rika asked "How? This isn't like a bio-emergence or anything, this some kind of interdimensional portal or something!"

Henry then added "And besides, most of the technology around here can't even determine how long before a portal opens. So how could you possibly find out?" Janyu then cued Yamaki to show them. "We sent a probe inside that thing the moment you were all preoccupied with the interview. And from what we gathered... The enemy appears to be at least two days away from this location." They then pondered how that was possible and then Simon said "Either your probe can zoom in pretty far... Or you made one that can move extremely fast." Janyu later said "Well yes, the probe can zoom in far, but we've calculated the distance based on how far these Digimon are from the city." Terriermon then went up to Janyu and asked "So what you're saying is that, in two days... We're gonna have a huge battle on us?" Janyu and Yamaki both nodded in Terriermon's direction. "Hey, don't worry about it okay? We'll be prepared for it... Right Simon?" Simon nodded to Henry's question and said "Yeah, we'll make sure that we plan out our tactics and prepare for the battle ahead. And remember guys, this is the last obstacle in our way from defeating Yggdrasil. So if we win this fight, there will only be one more battle ahead of us. And then... It'll finally be over. I know that all the pain may not have been worth it... But, I just wanna know, you guys still with me on this?" Henry and Terriermon both nodded in unison at Simon's question. Rika said "Simon, we've been over this. We're gonna see this through till the end alright?" Renamon added "Wherever Rika goes, I go." Nia walked up to Simon and said "We've been together for nearly two years now Simon. I'm not going to quit on you just because of a few Digimon." Impmon added "What she said! Except for the relationship drama." Daisuke nodded and said "I still believe in our fearless leader." V-Mon did a wind up motion and added "That's right, V for Victory!" Hikari then said "Simon, you know how we feel about this. We're with you until the very end!" Gatomon walked up to Simon and said "We'll give em' a good scratching!" Ken later said "Even though today got me feeling down, I'm going to stand by you during this time of need." Wormmon raises an antenna in agreement with Ken. Takeru smirked as though Simon knew what he and Patamon were going to say next.

Taiki then said "And in case you need us, we'll be there to back you guys up!" Kiriha added "What Taiki stands by is what I'm standing by. I'm not gonna let a friend down no matter what happens!" Taichi shrugs his shoulders and says "Though I still fully trust you... You'll have mine and Agumon's support." Simon sighed in relief and said "Okay then, in two days we'll meet here and confront the Royal Knights. But for now, we need to prepare and make sure we can prevent Bagra's invasion." They all nodded in agreement. But then Taiki added "What if we make Bagramon go elsewhere?" Simon raised an eyebrow in confusion until Kiriha added "Even if we manage to defeat the royal knights, there's still Bagra to deal with along with the rest of his goons. And who knows if you guys have the strength to take them on?" Yamaki hearing all this was pondering who this Bagramon was, who suddenly was brought up in this conversation. Janyu was more suprised at these kids making tactical strategies at their current age. After they had all discussed the plan for defeating the royal knights, Taiki had asked to talk to Simon about where he thinks that they should take their battle against Bagra to. "I think the only place we could take Bagra at this point is the Digital World." Taiki says to Simon who then ponders if there was another way to do this rather than endangering the Digital World as well. "I think I may have an idea... But I'm gonna need to contact a friend of mine before we get started on this whole plan alright?" Taiki nodded in agreement and asked "So... Who's your friend?" Simon then responded "His name is Emir and he lives all the way in America, and I was thinking that since he and some other people in his area can take on powerful Digimon like those in Bagra's army, I'm sure he'll be able to accommodate you and the other members of Xros Heart." Taiki then asks "One question... How are we gonna get the money to pay for that trip?" Simon ponders this until he remembers that Yamaki and Janyu are still here. "Yamaki, we need your help on this." Simon said to Yamaki who then asks "I'm going to assume that I'm going to have to cover this, aren't I?"

Simon sighed and responded "Have I caused any property damage around here?" Yamaki thinks about all the fights the Tamers have had, and so far they have avoided quite a lot of property damage due to their quick thinking. "Alright then, what do you need me to pay for?" Yamaki asks and Simon responds "We need plane tickets to America. But only three tickets since it's only Taiki's group that's going." Janyu then asks "But what about their Digimon? From what I gather of Xros Heart, only two of them can store their Digimon into their Digivices. How is Taichi going to get Agumon to go with him?" Simon then snaps his fingers and asks Taichi "Can you make Agumon de-evolve back into his prior form? Or is he always gonna be like this?" Taichi, who had just heard the question looked at Agumon and asked "Well, can you?" Agumon sighed and used his willpower to de-evolve into his In-Training form... Which looked like a pink head with long bunny ears, and red eyes. "Make your jokes while you can humans, cause I'm only doing this until I can evolve back into Agumon." Taichi picked up Koromon and said "Well, one thing's for sure. Now I can pretend that he's a plush toy." Janyu was quite astounded with the fact that, a Digimon in his rookie state willed himself back to In-Training without any input from his Tamer. With the exception of asking him of course. Agumon then evolved back into his rookie form and said "That form is demoralizing! I will only enter that form when necessary! Not because someone asked me to!" Taichi then shrugged his shoulders and said "Well we're good on my end! And Simon, I gotta ask... When are we leaving exactly? Because I'm sure we all have to know when." Simon then ponders this thought and responds "How about tomorrow? I'm sure that'll be enough time to pack and all that jazz." Taichi felt his jaw drop to the ground, while Taiki and Kiriha shrugged it off and decided to head home immediately in order to pack. Hikari helped to pick Taichi's jaw off the ground and said "Don't worry about my big brother here, I'll make sure he gets packed for the trip." Simon then responds "Thanks Hikari, just make sure to tell your mom about this whole thing."

She practically drags Taichi back home with Agumon and Gatomon following from behind. Daisuke and V-Mon also decided to head home since they were sure that Jun might be worried about them. Ken and Takeru headed their separate ways with Patamon and Wormmon following them. Rika and Renamon decided to walk home as well, though acknowledging that they too, would have to plan for they should do against the Royal Knights. Janyu had decided to take Henry and Suzie along with Terriermon and Lopmon back home with him. Nia had given Simon a hug before heading back home with Impmon, leaving Simon with Guilmon and Yamaki. "So then, should I give you updates on the status of the portal?" Yamaki asked Simon who responded "Well, I'd like to know how much time we have before we go in and face these guys." Guilmon then said "Simon, these guys aren't like the other Mega level Digimon in the Digital World. They are much more powerful than they are. Especially Omnimon, since he besides Imperialdramon was the strongest amongst the Royal Knights. I was only one of their captains because I defeated Dynasmon. All of the other knights are in a league of their own, including Magnamon. He may be an armor level Digimon, but he is just as powerful as all of the knights barring Omnimon and Imperialdramon." Simon thought about this and responded "So... What you're saying is that, we're dealing with Mega Level Digimon likely stronger than any other Mega levels besides the Archangels correct?" Guilmon nodded and Simon then said "Considering they're a huge group of Mega levels that makes sense." Guilmon then remembered something and said "There's one more thing. Among the Royal Knights lies a spectre named Jesmon. He used to be one of the knights a long time ago. But now he's currently around the other Royal Knights since for some reason, his data wouldn't assimilate properly." Yamaki also ponders this thought and says "It looks like I'm going to have to ask Shibumi if that's possible. Until then, I'll let you know about the portal and when it's about to open." Simon nods in agreement and they all part ways from each other.

* * *

When Simon gets home, he boots up Skype on his home computer hoping to get into contact with Emir. "C'mon, please be online and in Eastopolis!" Simon said to himself while searching for Emir. "Alright! Now we're getting somewhere!" He said excitedly. Guilmon was looking at the web cam Simon had hooked up, thinking that Emir might be interested in seeing him. Simon then clicks the call button on his computer, waiting a little bit before Emir finally answers the call. "Simon, please tell this is some good news." Emir says on the other side. Simon thinks about how he should respond to this and says "Well, there is some good news. The good news is that some of my friends are coming to visit you. And they're people you'll probably want to meet. The bad news is that, they're coming there just to take a fight over to you guys." Emir raises an eyebrow and asks "Why?" Simon sighs and responds "Well, it's mostly due to the fact that, I don't want any collatoral or property damage on my end. And plus, we can't take on both the Royal Knights and Bagramon at the same time. So we kind of need your help here." One Emir's end, he wonders about the name Bagramon. "Bagramon... Bagramon... Where have I heard that name before...?" He then proceeds to look up his old Digimon datalog, which he shared with Simon during the times they had talked about Digimon he looked through each of the names of Digimon on his list starting with B. He then saw Bagramon's name next to his various stats. "Bagramon, Virus Type, Super Ultimate Level. One of his arms can alter the fabric of space and time itself and he has a whole army with him..." Emir said reading his datalog. His reaction seemed to be that of anger and shock.

Emir then got back to Simon and asked "So let me get this straight, you're trying to push a powerful Digimon swarm /invasion into my city, right after I managed to deal with Zombies, Aliens, AND Ninjas...?" Simon felt quite guilty about this current scenario since, now he sees that Emir had a lot of things to deal with before now. "Well, at first I thought you had quite a lot of free time considering most of the crises have passed. And perhaps you guys could take down Bagramon and his army much easier than me or any of my team ever could..." Emir then responded with false enthusiasm "Lovely! Tell me more!" Simon raised an eyebrow and asked "Are you being sarcastic or do you actually mean that?" Emir face palmed at Simon's sarcasm blindness. "Well, one thing's for sure is that you really must be desperate if you're calling me for help." Simon sighs at Emir's statement and responds "Yes, I am very desperate. The Royal Knights plan on invading in two days and I don't Shinjuku could handle another invasion of Mega Level Digimon after that one. So I ask you, will you help me?" Emir ponders this and says "Y'know, I'm a bit surprised that you're using the American names of each of the rankings instead of the literal translations. Though it seems that keeping Digimon from being a part of the town's ecosystem has failed on my end. So hold on while I pause the episode of Adventure Time I cued up." Simon just gives a skeptical look on his face upon hearing the name of the show Emir was watching. "Alright, I've got a pen and a piece of paper to write down their numbers, so lay it on me." Emir said asking for the contact information. "Well, I can give you Taiki and Kiriha's contact information. However, Taichi... Isn't going to happen." Emir then asks "Why's that?" Simon then responds "Well... It's kind of got something to do with him being in the Digital World and not being in school for six years."

Emir then casually asks "His mom is intent on him catching up in school?" Simon nods in response. "Is she giving a death glare?" Emir once again asks, only for Simon to once again nod. "The death glare would definitely make either Bagramon or Yggdrasil shit bricks. And I don't mean just Digimon poop. I mean they actually would poop out bricks." Simon said describing Yuko Kamiya's death glare. Emir then responded "Yeesh! That's pretty bad. But just give me the other two then." Simon then typed in Taiki and Kiriha's contact information onto Skype to which Emir wrote down their names and information. "Okay, I got it down. So I'll talk to you once we can prepare the town. So... Bye!" Emir then ends the call and Simon closes his skype. Guilmon looks at Simon with a bit of worry and says "Do you think Emir will let them stay?" Simon then responded "I don't know Guilmon. I doubt that Emir is gonna let them stay tomorrow, so I'm just gonna pray that Bagramon will decide to invade much later. For now, we gotta focus on how we're gonna beat the Royal Knights and worry about Bagramon when the time comes. Guilmon then shrugs his shoulders before bringing Simon his trenchcoat. "Is it time yet?" Guilmon asks Simon who responds "In a few hours Guilmon, we still have to eat dinner and check to see if there's any surprise bio-emergeances before we even go out to do our usual shtick." Guilmon then responds "Oh. Well then, let's see what we're having for dinner then." Simon nods and goes to the fridge to pick out something to cook for himself and Guilmon.

* * *

Meanwhile, in the Wong residence...

Suzie had decided that she wanted to do something fun before they planned out their tactics. So, she pulled out a game simply known as Twister. "Suzie, no offense but... I kind of feel bad about playing games while death is hovering above us." Henry said a bit against playing Twister. "Nah, don't worry Henry. I'm sure we'll be fine. Besides, we've been practicing for months now on some tai chi, so I'm pretty sure these Royal Knights can't beat us! They'd underestimate us in our initial form due to them thinking we're a long range mega level... But then, WHAM! We'd totally get them in just a few seconds flat!" Terriermon said reassuring Henry. "Well, if you say so little brother. I'll play your game Suzie, just don't expect me to do any stupid moves while trying to play the game." Suzie smiled and then layed out the matt for Henry and the two Digimon to use. Suzie then spun the arrow on the spinner and she said "Right foot green!" Henry, and the two Digimon put their right feet onto a green space nearby them. "So, Terriermon how is this game hard again?" Lopmon asked Terriermon who responded "Well for one thing, we can't move our feet from the current spot we're in. And we also have to make sure our balance doesn't falter." Lopmon then says "That doesn't sound too bad." The game went on, until Henry along with Lopmon and Terriermon were struggling to maintain their balance. Lopmon then falls over and says "I... Stand... Corrected. That was a lot harder than you two make it out to be." Henry and Terriermon didn't really laugh since they both needed to concentrate on the current situation they were going through. "Do you think Simon could handle playing a game like this Suzie?" Lopmon asks her Tamer who ponders this thought, but Henry interrupts her thinking by saying "Ah don't worry about it Suzie... I'm sure that there's nothing he can't handle."

Simon seemed to be with Guilmon and what appears to be a ladybug Digimon and a pink bird Digimon. However, what was in front of them appeared to be a large robot. "WE! CANNOT! HANDLE! THIS!" Simon yelled about his current predicament...

 **つづく**


	3. The Invasion Begins! Part 3

The Following is a non-profit Fanfiction. Digimon is owned by Toei Animation, Bandai and licensed by Saban Brands. Please support the official release, by buying the DVDs.

Digimon Tamers Crimson: Knights of Grim Episode 3: The Invasion Part 3

A bio-emergeance had occured on the docks nearby Shinjuku. However, it was like the usual fog that accompanies it and not from the portal that had recently appeared. One of the two Digimon appeared to be a timid Ladybug who appeared to be carrying around some kind of book. The other, seemed to be a pink bird on a mission.

"Alright, Tentomon we're here to look for humans who are willing to help us get stronger. And right now, all we need to do is- What are you reading?" The pink bird said to Tentomon who responded "Oh, I'm just reading the ancient text written by the believers of Goddramon! It would be heresy if I were to throw it away Biyomon! Besides, I still need to do the daily prays to my lord and savior!" Biyomon felt like face faulting at Tentomon's beliefs in Goddramon.

Even though he isn't a deity, Goddramon seemed to have been worshipped by several Digimon. Tentomon had recently gotten into believing in Goddramon, through the means of... Finding a book one day that ended up filling him with more hope than almost any friend could ever give him. With the exception of course being Biyomon whom Tentomon followed out of wanting to be braver.

However, coming here... Might have been a bad idea to Tentomon. Not out of fearing for his life, but rather out of his fear of not being able to return to the Digital World. "Well Tentomon, this is it. The Human World. Though there's a lot more water than land, but it'll do." Biyomon said before walking towards one of the various warehouses.

Tentomon had closed his book and decided to follow his bird friend towards their destination.

"Alright Tentomon, we need to make sure we can get into the city and look for any human teens willing to help our cause. And if the Shadow Tamer is among them, and willing to help us get to our potential partners... Then that's a plus!" Biyomon said to Tentomon who had gone off while Biyomon was talking. "Hey Biyomon! I found some humans who said they were looking for Digimon. Although, are you sure that they're the ones we should be looking for?" Tentomon asked Biyomon who got a better look at who Tentomon was talking about... And realized that he hadn't been paying attention.

Biyomon tried flying away from the two humans Tentomon had found before getting tazed by one them. Tentomon ended up getting bagged by the other and said "I'm starting to think you guys don't want to be our partners..." They were then dragged towards the warehouse and put into a cage together. "Now then, you guys wait here. Our boss would like to know where you came from. Mostly for a little... Experiment we're about to put together."

Tentomon feels quite guilty about this whole thing and tries avoiding Biyomon's general direction. Biyomon then says "Alright, it's not your fault buddy. You were all caught up in succeeding in the mission and you couldn't have known those guys were gonna do this to us. If anything, maybe I should have picked a better location for us to go to." Biyomon said trying to reassure Tentomon who responded "Oh but it is my fault! I didn't listen to what you said, and Goddramon's text says be good to everyone... And you shall recieve good fortune. Now I feel like the nice guy who finishes last." Tentomon then feels a bit of regret for getting into Goddramon...

* * *

Meanwhile with Simon and Guilmon...

Simon as the Shadow Tamer had recently recieved a signal from his Digivice about a bio-emergeance. However, when Yamaki had also found out where the location was, he contacted Simon immediately. "Simon, there's a bio-emergeance near the docks. But one thing's for certain, that place has become a dangerous place recently." Yamaki said in the building. "Why's that? Is there some kind of sketchy gang leader there? A spirit in the ocean? Or, is it the mafia?" Simon asked a bit skeptical as to the current threat in this point in time.

Yamaki sighed and responded "It's a mysterious organization that has been a recent threat to Japan. Over the past couple weeks, they've been robbing shipments of medical and research supplies. For what purpose? We don't know that yet. But, we can assume that they've recently been interested in Digimon as of late. Our spy network has seen them nearby bio-emergeances that have appeared over the course of May and it appears to be that what they plan to do with Digimon is to capture them and then make countermeasures against not just inhabitants of the Digital World... But also against you and your friends." Simon then responded "Wait, how can you figure all this out just from a few spies giving you intel?"

Yamaki was silent for a moment, but then he answered "I know this... Because I used to be this way. I never wanted to rely on Digimon Tamers and their partners, but then one day we had tried an experiment that nearly wiped out a large source of data, which last time I checked was how Digimon strived. If I had gone through with that, the data of every computer in the world would have been wiped out. It wasn't worth losing all the data we had acquired as well as sacrificing the world's data. All for one purpose... Destruction."

Simon was a tad bit curious about Yamaki's intel. "Tell me, what was the name of this program?" He asked Yamaki who then responded "It was named Shaggai. Though, some of my workers thought it'd be funny if it was named Juggernaut instead." Simon was a bit confused as to why the workers that were making such a terrifying program, wanted to name it something a bit unorthodox. "So, you had the idea to name it after one of the various creatures of H.P. Lovecraft and your workers thought of X-Men... Seems legit."

Simon said to Yamaki who had face palmed at his statement, which questioned his worker's logic. "Look, we need you to go to the pier and find out what they're up to." Yamaki said to Simon, as though giving him an order. "Yamaki, I'll go investigate. But not because you asked me to. But because these guys could be a serious threat to all Digimon kind. Also, you might want to cancel getting those plane tickets for Xros Heart since my annoying friend can't help us right now." Yamaki was a bit curious about this detail... But decided to ask "So when could they go?"

Simon thought about it and answered "He told me that July would be when they could. So hopefully Bagramon is willing to be the patient mon." Yamaki then turned to one of his workers and said "Cancel those plane tickets! We're going to have to delay those plans until July." The worker then didn't question his boss and canceled buying the plane tickets. "So, I'm gonna investigate the docks. And unless they give me trouble, I"m just going to inspect the base of operations." Simon said to Yamaki who then responded "Be careful Simon. After all, you've got people to go back to right?"

* * *

Simon nodded and hung up on Yamaki. "Alright Guilmon, you up for a night at the docks?" Simon asked his partner who responded "Wasn't that where we were headed to begin with?" Simon nodded and added "Yes. But this time, we have a little mission to perform before we can fulfill our objective." Simon and Guilmon then ran across the rooftops of Shinjuku in order to get to their location a little faster. Once the reached the pier, they seemed to be a little preoccupied with looking for someone/something to lead them into the base. "Simon, why don't you use your Digivice to find them?" Guilmon asked his Tamer who showed him the static screen on his Digivice.

"They have a device that jams my Digivice's signal the moment we get close. So right now, we're looking for someone who looks like a mook. Mooks will have a likely pattern to follow revolving around their current location, thus making it easier for us to track down where their main headquarters are." Guilmon then decided to see if he could find out where these individuals could be. However, he saw what appeared to be a book lying on the ground nearby one of the warehouses. When he brought it to Simon, they saw that all the text was written in binary.

"I may know some people who can read this... But for now, we might be able to track someone with this. Guilmon! I need you to sniff this and point to where the scent leads." Simon said to Guilmon who sniffed the book and pointed towards a warehouse to their right. "Thanks buddy! This made stakeout a little easier." Simon praised Guilmon who responded "Where would you be right now if I wasn't here?"

He thought about Guilmon's question and answered "Well for starters, I'd be dead. And you would be without a partner." Guilmon then lead Simon towards the scent's direction which lead to the metallic door in the front. "Looks like we'll need to find a human and Digimon sized vent before proceeding." Guilmon then spotted what appeared to be a man hole cover. "Ugh... Seriously? The sewers?" Simon asked his partner with a bit of disgust for the sewers. When Guilmon jumped into the man hole, Simon shrugged and followed. "Whatever." He muttered before entering.

* * *

They walked around for a bit in what appeared to be a small tunnel large enough for the two of them. They then felt an air current coming from slightly above them and spotted a ladder. When the opened up the grate above them, Simon said "That, seemed way too convient for us. I mean, how does this even work exactly?" Guilmon then responded "I'm not sure... But at least we're in."

Simon nodded and they looked around the warehouse for anything inside it that would arouse suspicion. However, Simon spotted a panel on the floor that revealed the jammer which was messing with his Digivice. "Alright, let's break this. Then find our would be friends." When they broke the jammer, Simon activated his Digivice to scan for any Digital life. He then found another, larger panel nearby the edge of the warehouse. "These guys are practically noobs at keeping a secret." Guilmon nods and walks down the staircase headed towards what would be the enemies' HQ...

Once they got into the base, there seemed to be quite a number of guards surrounding the area in front of them. "So Simon, are these the mooks we're looking for?" Guilmon whispered to his Tamer who responded "I think they are. Though we should avoid being spotted regardless of whether or not we can take them." Guilmon nodded in agreement and proceeded to sneak past the guards.

"So, what are Digimon like, organisms or something?" One the guards said to his co worker who responded "Nah, Digimon are just packets of data. That's all. And besides, if we delete all of them... Then what's left to fear really?" The other guard thought about that statement and responded "Poverty, theft, world hunger, terrorism, diseases, need I go on?" His co-worker sighed and said "I was asking a rhetorical question, but I guess that does bring up a good point."

Simon then walked right behind them and continued on into the base. As the duo continued onwards, they found a security console that was un-manned for whatever reason. When the duo looked through the console, they saw that the two Digimon they were searching for are down the hallway they had just came from. Once they entered the room, Simon quickly analyzed the two Digimon being held in the area. "Biyomon, Vaccine type, Rookie level. Attacks are Spiral Twister, Violin attack, Pecking attack and Tsuibami attack. Tentomon, Vaccine type, Rookie level. Attacks are Super Shocker, Talon attack, Tai atari and Double Punch." Simon had said quoting his Digivice. He then walked into the room and sliced the bars of their cage open.

"Huh? Are you the legendary Shadow Tamer?" The Biyomon asked Simon who nodded in response. Before Biyomon could say anything Tentomon then yelled "Praise be to Goddramon! A savoir has come in the form of a legend! Tell me, are you an angel sent by Goddramon?" Simon felt confused as to what Tentomon had said. Guilmon walked up to Tentomon and responded "Well, one thing's for certain is that we're not angels. And we're here to get you out of this place." Simon then added "So unless you enjoy being experimented on by scum bags, I recommend following us."

* * *

They all then walked out of the room. After getting back into the previous room where all the guards were, one thing they didn't expect... Was all the guards pointing their guns at Simon and the other Digimon. At first Simon wasn't sure if he should use a smoke bomb... Or go back into the hallway and find another way out. All of a sudden, he heard someone clapping in the room. Almost as though he were applauding Simon in a bit of a mocking manner.

"Well. Well. Well. If it isn't the Shadow Tamer and his precious side kick. I'm honored to meet you. The name is Rufus, and I am the man running this entire operation." Simon was a bit confused by the surprisingly non Japanese name... But then that confusion was turned into anger. "Tell me something, why kidnap innocent Digimon to use as experiments?" Rufus, who was then revealed to be a man that wore a black business suit but his face was obscured by a ballroom mask that made it hard to figure out his hair color. "I can assure you boy. Digimon. Are far. From innocent." He said to the Shadow Tamer as he slowly approached them.

"But I haven't killed a single Digimon to get to this form." Tentomon said confused as to why his whole race is guilty in this man's eyes. Biyomon then asked "Where do you even get off on the theory that all Digimon are horrible monsters!?" Rufus then stopped and responded "I'm glad you asked little bird. It's merely due to the fact that, all of these atrocities that have happened as of late. Are because of Digimon. That incident six years ago was no accident, but rather caused by a Digimon that almost engulfed the city in flames! And then, all of the devas had attacked various parts of the city, thus endangering innocent people. Which by the way Shadow Tamer, are meant to be protected by you, the hero. And yet, considering the destructive potential that not only Digimon from this "Digital World" but also from members of your team... People will still defend them."

He then cued the guards to stand down and light up a cloaked object. "People will come to depend on you Tamers and your Digimon... That, will end up proving humanity's weakness! They need to be coddled by some children, who are in over their heads if they think they can handle our world's problems! How I see it, is a world where we can defend ourselves from Digimon and other threats like potential aliens. And I'll start by eliminating all of you with my newest machine at my side!" He then unveiled the machine which appeared to be a large robot with twin gattling guns on it's shoulders and it seemed to be about 4-5 meters in height. "I hope you enjoyed your run as this all powerful Batman wannabe... But your time has come to an end! I'll eliminate you, and the rest of your Tamer friends! And once these "Royal Knights" appear... They will know my might as well!" He finished before getting to the robot and booting it up.

Once he entered the machine, he quickly activated the guns and focused their aim at Simon and co. "Now then, you're surrounded by my armed guards, my machine has pointed it's guns at you and I'm not going to even give you a chance to evolve your partner there. So I'm afraid you've lost boy... Any last words?" Rufus said to Simon as though confirming his victory over the Shadow Tamer. Tentomon and Biyomon looked at Simon in worry. However, he seems to have a plan. "Just follow my lead..." He whispered to the two Digimon.

They both nodded and Simon looked at Rufus within the robot. "As a matter of fact, I have some last words to say: Look at your men, now back to me, now back to your men, back to me. I'm not your men, that window looks breakable." Simon was saying while pointing in the general direction of what he was talking about. He then pointed to the ground and continued "Now look at the ground, back to me. Where am I? I'm outside the window... See ya!" Simon and co. then jumped out of the window they were standing near.

Rufus seemed incredibly confused as to what just happened. "HOW DID HE ESCAPE!?" Rufus yelled through the microphone inside the robot. One of the guards responded "Sir, he used a smoke bomb while you were looking where he was pointing." Rufus then felt quite a large amount of anger building up inside of him and asked "Well why didn't you shoot him!?" Another guard answered "You told us to stand down, you didn't give us orders to shoot him if he moved." Rufus was about to reach a breaking point, but then he thought about the important part: Killing the Shadow Tamer and the Digimon who were with him. "No matter, I'll just find and destroy him. Open the gate!" He said to the guard who opened up the door leading outside. Once he was outside, he started to scan for any traces of the Shadow Tamer and the other Digimon.

* * *

Simon had started running over various rooftops, hoping to gain some distance away from Rufus. Guilmon wasn't far behind and neither was Biyomon or Tentomon. Once they did get to what Simon assumed was a safe area, they stopped to catch their breath. "I thought you were some brave Tamer who could fight against some of the most powerful Digimon in the Digital World." Biyomon said a bit disappointed in Simon's actions.

Tentomon seemed to not care, since now he was safe with a human who was known for amazing feats. "Look Biyomon, most of the feats that I've accomplished was with the help of my friends and Guilmon. I couldn't have hoped to take on anything as powerful as Vamdemon without any of their assistance. So I'm sorry if I don't live up to your expectations. Now I need to make a phone call to a friend of mine, so that we can defeat the giant robot that Rufus just built." Simon said to Biyomon pointing out how ludicrous her expectations were in a way. He then pulled out his phone and dialed up Henry's home phone number.

Instead of Henry, Suzie ended up answering the phone. "Hello, this is the Wong residence, Xiaochun speaking..." Suzie said on the other side. "Suzie! Listen, either you or Henry might want to come out here!" Suzie seemed confused by Simon's demands and asks "Why? Isn't this the time that you're out on patrol?" Simon sighed and responded "Well yes but, right now I really need either one of you! So if you could get Lopmon or Henry and help me out, that would be great!" Suzie on the other side looks towards her older brother and Terriermon, before noticing that they don't seem to be moving from their current position on the Twister mat. Lopmon seemed to be busy with spinning the wheel and telling them which colored dot to move to next. "I'll be there soon Simon, any requirements?" Simon thought about what Suzie asked and answered "Preferably Cherubimon since we might need a mega level against this enemy. I'll see you later!"

* * *

Meanwhile at the Wong residence...

Suzie noticed that Simon hung up and decided to get her core drill and Digivice in her room. "Lopmon, Simon needs us right now!" Suzie yelled to Lopmon, who said to Henry "Sorry, but it seems that me and Suzie have to leave now." Henry was a bit unnerved by this and asked "But what about us?" Lopmon then responded before walking to her Tamer "I'm sure that your Mother or Father will be home by this hour. So for now... Just stay in that position." Terriermon and Henry felt like they were betrayed by their own family members...

But then they realized that maybe it was for something important. "Y'know Henry, I could tickle you and the game could end a little faster." Terriermon said to Henry while moving his ears nearby Henry's back. "I'd rather not ask you to cheat. Besides, don't you want to win fair and square?" Henry responded to Terriermon who sighed and said "You know me too well, don't you?"

Before Henry could respond, Janyu walked into the door and noticed the twister game going on between the two. "I'm not even gonna ask how, or why." He said regarding the current situation. He then walked up to the spinner and flicked the arrow. "Right foot green." Henry easily moved his right leg over to a green dot, while Terriermon had a bit of a struggle before finding the right area. There was some knocking on the door and Janyu went to answer it. When he opened the door there seemed to be a mysterious delivery man carrying a package.

"Package for Mr. Jianliang Wong..." The man said to Janyu who responded "My son's a little busy at the moment so I'll sign it..." He then signed his name on the contract that came with the package. The delivery man then thanked Janyu for taking the package. He looked at the return address and asked "This package came from a place called Eastopolis, where do you want me to put it?" Henry responded "Put it on the counter, me and Terriermon have a game to finish here!" Janyu shrugged and did as his son said.

* * *

Back with Simon and co...

Simon was about to confirm that they were going to receive assistance... Only to find that the robot ended up detecting them sooner than expected. "There you are!" Rufus said to Simon who responded by getting out his blade and jumping down from the building with Guilmon following suit. "So then, you're ready to die for these mere Digimon you've known for a few minutes, correct?"

Rufus asked Simon who was looking at what he assumed was a wrist watch. "No, I'm just waiting for your machine to recieve it's death from above." He responded to Rufus who laughed at him for his arrogance. "Boy, you have no idea what the world is like do you? God won't be able to answer your prayers, all he'll do is simply cast them aside to focus more on watching us suffer! And now, he'll just watch as you die here under my foot!" As he was about to step on Simon, lightning shards were sticking out of the robot's limbs.

Rufus looked up to see Cherubimon firing said shards. "Was that... What he meant by death from above!?" Rufus thought to himself before the machine ended up getting dismantled. Rufus was trying to escape from the Shadow Tamer who then made him come towards Simon with his whip. "Yeah, you're not getting away." Rufus merely scoffed at Simon's declaration and responded "Oh please. You fight this nonsensical battle against these people of whom you won't kill. And today, you just let someone do your fighting for you. I bet that makes you feel pretty weak right about now."

Simon rolled his eyes and headbutted Rufus in order to make him go unconscious... Later on, Rufus found himself in a police car being carried away to custody. Simon and Suzie had decided to head back to the apartment complex before heading their separate ways. Afterwards, Biyomon and Tentomon continued to explore Japan in the hopes of finding teenagers willing to help in their cause. As she was heading into the apartment, Suzie noticed that Terriermon and Henry were both on the ground, worn out from the game of twister they played...

* * *

The next day...

Simon had assembled the Tamers after school, barring Taichi and Xros Heart to the park in Shinjuku. "So what's the plan fearless leader?" Takeru asked Simon who responded "Well first of all, we need to make sure that whatever Royal Knight we take on can be suitable to your strengths and your weaknesses. However, the problem is that each of them will probably pick their opponents instead of letting us pick who to fight. One thing is for sure however... Omnimon is probably going to fight me and Guilmon." Terriermon raised a hand and asked "Um... How do you know that? Is there a script that you're reading and you didn't tell me about it?"

Simon face faulted into the ground at Terriermon's statment. "No Terriermon... It's because Guilmon and Omnimon have a score to settle with one another." As they continuing to discuss their tactics, it seems that the portal had decided to open a bit early. Once it opened, at least nine figures appeared from the portal. They were the Royal Knights, whom were lead by Omnimon. The moment that they appeared, people started to panic and run from where they were standing.

Back with the Tamers, Daisuke then asked Ken "I gotta ask about Yesterday. How did you avoid stuttering while giving the reporters the answers they were looking for?" Ken thought about it and responded "I may have been a little nervous about approaching them... But I remembered what happened after my brother died. Reporters came in to see the accident and they needed a witness... So I gave them my answers, but only after crying a few times on the news. I felt that after working with all of you, my cowardice had faded away and became a form a bravery..."

Daisuke was quite intrigued by Ken's answer... Only to be interrupted by his and the other Tamer's digivices responding to the Royal Knights arriving. "Looks like they got through the portal early!" Simon said before running towards the signal, with Guilmon holding the case containing Simon's equipment. Impmon handed Nia her case which contained her new firearms from the Digital World. Henry had equipped his new Gauntlets that he got from Eastopolis which seemed to be able to channel Henry's new ability.

They had followed the signal to the center of the city, where Omnimon and the others were waiting. Simon opened up the case to bring out Falchion and his trench coat. "It's been a long time hasn't it Gallantmon?" Omnimon asked only for Guilmon to respond with snarling. Guilmon's face ended up going completely viral, though Simon didn't try to stop him this time. Instead, Simon felt as though he were just as angry as Guilmon. Magnamon looked at V-Mon and Wormmon and said "Imperialdramon... It's been far too long. I only wish my radiance wasn't corrupted by this urge to kill you." V-Mon then responded "I'd like to know why Omnimon decided to bring you all here to us..." Dynasmon later said "Isn't it obvious? He probably left you alive, just so he could kill you in the real world! And that way, there's a garuntee that you will never return!" Simon then said "Clearly, all of you are certifiably insane... So now, I feel that I should put an end to your reign over the Digital World once and for all!"

 **Now that the Royal Knights have arrived in the Human World, Can Simon and the gang hope to defeat Yggdrasil's most powerful agents? Will all the preparation that they have done in two months pay off? Find out next time, on Digimon Tamers Crimson: Knights of Grim!**


	4. Corrupted Radiance

The Following is a non-profit Fanfiction. Digimon is owned by Toei Animation, Bandai and licensed by Saban Brands. Please support the official release, by buying the DVDs...

Digimon Tamers Crimson: Knights of Grim Episode 4: Corrupted Radiance

The Tamers were at a standstill with The Royal Knights. And it seemed that not only did they feel out-monned, but they also felt a bit out-gunned. Both sides weren't in the slightest fazed by the other. However, that only brought about some form of ire from both sides as well. Terriermon then spoke up to break the silence. "You... All of you... And especially the big white dragon! You all... You all KILLED MY FAMILY! My home... My friends... EVERYTHING! GONE! ALL BECAUSE OF WHAT YOU'VE ALL DONE!" Henry saw his partner and tugged on his ear.

"LET ME GO HENRY! THESE GUYS NEED TO PAY!" Henry then responds "I know that... But right now isn't the time to charge in!" Terriermon keeps on insisting, but Dynasmon then says "Oh yeah, I think I do remember destroying your village little one... It was one of our first missions on the order of Yggdrasil. And definitely the best part was watching them all flee like cowards... Though I am surprised that I missed two of those little dog/rabbit creatures."

Terriermon was nearly at a breaking point with this guy, but Henry stood in both their way and said "I have been a very kind and gentle person in the past. Hell, I've even been a pacifist until this whole Tamer business." Henry's body then started to glow with green circuits running through his entire body. Which were further amplified by the gauntlets he wore on his hands.

He then continued to speak "But over time, I've grown to realize that change is a constant. I have to fight, but for the right reasons and not for the reasons that others provide me. However, because you've made my little brother miserable his entire life I have only this to say: My name, is Jianliang Wong. You killed my little brother's family in cold blood... Prepare to die Dynasmon..."

This ended up shocking the other Tamers, especially Rika and Simon who have known Henry the longest out of all the Tamers. Dynasmon then looks down at the glowing Henry and laughed. "You really expect me to be intimidated by this little boy!? Please! It's not like you could make any dent in my armor right!?" He continued to laugh after saying that, and Henry walked up to Dynasmon's leg and punched him in the shin. The punch caused a noticable dent in Dynasmon's armor. He walked away from Dynasmon who had a delayed reaction to the attack.

"GYAAHHH! You son of a bitch! How dare you strike me! Me, a Royal Knight! Omnimon, I want to kill this boy and his little dog/rabbit myself!" Dynasmon yelled to his cohorts. Omnimon sighed and responded by producing a portal into the Digital World below Dynasmon, Henry and Terriermon. They were then warped into the Digital World and the portal proceeded to close. Rika then yelled "What did you do to Henry!?" Crusadermon stepped in front of Rika and said "Oh don't worry about him little girl. Besides, Omnimon only sent them to the Digital World... Which might be where we're going sweetie..." Rika was also somewhat angry at Crusdermon and said "Don't... Call me... Sweetie!"

* * *

Crusdermon then backed away from Rika and said "Oh... How adorable. To think that someone like yourself thinks that you're above an average little girl." Renamon sensed Rika's anger and said "Calm down Rika! She'll abuse that weakness if you give it to her! Just let it go alright?" Rika took some deep breaths and responded "I'll try Renamon. Just don't expect me to let it go entirely." Renamon nodded in agreement and they both looked at Crusadermon with an equal amount of spite for the Holy Knight.

Impmon looked up at Examon who seemed to be hovering above them, all while sporting a menacing face. "You... I recall seeing your face little imp. Who were you?" Examon asked Impmon who hesitated to say anything, until Nia responded for him "His name is Impmon." Impmon then got a boost in courage and said "And I used to be your worst nightmare, Beelzemon!"

Examon thought about the name and said "Ah yes, I do remember a Beelzemon. Though he seemed very arrogant at the time, he did provide me with a good fight. However, I do recall that you lost your ability to become Beelzemon through data absorbtion. However, now I see that you've become stronger through a human. Perhaps this will give you the ability to beat me!" Impmon got a little bit angry over Examon's boasting. Nia was also pretty angry at Examon, while sporting a piercing gaze at the dragon knight. "Nia, you sure that the new form you guys worked on can beat him?" Simon asked Nia out of concern. She looked back at Simon and said "Simon... At this point, there shouldn't be anything we can't handle. If we need to use our last ditch effort... Then so be it..."

Nia then inserted her core drill into her Digivice...

 **SPIRAL MATRIX EVOLUTION._**

 **Impmon Spiral Matrix Evolve to... Beelzemon!**

Beelzemon looked Examon in the eye as though he were ready to do something. "It's been a while hasn't it big guy?" The ex-demon lord asks Examon who responds "Likewise, it's been a while since I've recieved a proper challenge. Though with Lord Yggdrasil's power boost... I doubt you'd stand a chance against me now." Beelzemon then smirked and something on his back began moving around. However, it wasn't any of the tubes that were attached to his jacket... But rather something inside the jacket. All of a sudden, wings sprouted out of his back! Both were quite large and seemed to be black angel wings rather than devil wings.

He then tested out the wings' functionality and started to fly up towards Examon, who seemed to be a bit baffled. Beelzemon, with his arms crossed approached Examon and asked "What's wrong? I thought you said I couldn't find a way to best you. So here I am with the ability to fly!" Examon ends up glaring at Beelzemon and says "So, you wish to take me on in my own turf huh? Well then, I know the perfect place in the Digital World... Follow me..."

Examon then opened a portal to the Digital World and flew into said portal, with Beelzemon giving pursuit. Simon had watched the entire thing and looked back at Omnimon. "It seems pretty easy once you realize that, most of my cohorts and your teammates will end up choosing their opponents instead of us choosing who they're fighting isn't it?" Omnimon said to Simon who responded "One thing's for certain, I'm sure your posse probably picked the members who'll more than likely kick their ass. So yeah, bottom line is that so far... You've gotten rid of two of your strongest knights just to satisfy a grudge they both share..."

* * *

Magnamon then approaches V-Mon and Wormmon before saying "I see that the inferior V-Mon is within this area." V-Mon felt offended by Magnamon's statement and says "And how are we inferior to you!?" Magnamon then floated upwards and said "It's mostly due to your reliance on that little worm over there! Me, I don't need anyone to get me to this form, let alone some mere human. And though my radiance is corrupted by Yggdrasil's power... I still think it's more than enough to deal with you two!"

Daisuke, Ken and Wormmon were all equally offended by Magnamon's taunting. However, V-Mon felt nothing but shame for Magnamon. "So, Yggdrasil gave you arrogance to go with your corrupted radiance. I just wish that I could've done something to save you. Daisuke, I believe it's time for Imperialdramon." Daisuke and Ken then nodded in agreement with V-Mon's statement.

"Ha! You becoming our lord in an instant! Please! If that were possible right now, maybe you'd stand a chance, but right now you're just mere rookie levels!" Daisuke and Ken both sighed in response to Magnamon's obliviousness to Beelzemon appearing before their eyes. "Should we show them partner?" Daisuke asked Ken who nodded and said "At this point, why not?" They then simultaneously inserted their core drills into their respective Digivices.

 **SPIRAL MATRIX EVOLUTION._**

 **V-Mon... Wormmon... Spiral Matrix Evolve To... Imperialdramon Fighter mode!**

Imperialdramon then stood in front of Magnamon who ended up completely baffled by this sudden transformation. "Commander Omnimon... Did Magnamon's arrogance end up blinding him to that possibility?" Craniamon asked Omnimon who responded "Oh yes it did. But then again, Impmons have been known to go through their evolution line like it was nothing. So this possibility of Spiral Matrix Evolution seemed very foreign to me... Until this point that is." He then focused his attention back to Guilmon and Simon and thought to himself _"So, if it's possible then Gallantmon might end up coming from this Tamer and Guilmon. Though I do have to wonder... What kind of Mega Level Digimon are we dealing with besides what I am aware of?"_

Imperialdramon then approached Magnamon and said "Well Magnamon? Here it is. Your master has returned from the grave. And now, I'm afraid that you do not stand a chance against me as I am now." Magnamon felt a bit of anger boil into him. He then said "There's no way that's possible! So not only has a Demon Lord returned, but now our former leader!? Alright then, where would you like to engage in combat?" Imperialdramon pondered where to go for their fight, but then thought about a place where they've trained before. "There's a large lake in the nearby mountain range. Follow me, if you wish to prove your radiance as strong as ever Magnamon..." Magnamon then followed Imperialdramon towards the mountain range outside of Tokyo. Craniamon then looked at Takeru and Patamon, but noticed something peculiar about him. "An Archangel is among us Commander. Though I assume it's not just the little Patamon..."

* * *

Patamon was somewhat shocked that, a Digimon of which he's never met before... Has recognized him as an Archangel. "How would you know that? And besides, what proof do you have that he is an Archangel?" Takeru asks Craniamon who then responds "Simple, the energy that exudes off an Archangel is astonshing in terms of how much power they carry. Also, their aura is a unique color compared to most Digimon. Seraphimon's is Gold, Ophanimon's is blue, and Cherubimon's is purple. However, judging by your expressions you've begun to realize how I was able to sense out your power."

Gatomon and Lopmon both gave fierce expressions on their faces, which came to a suprise to Suzie but not to Hikari. "So you can sense an aura of a Digimon, big deal... What's it to ya?" Takeru asked in a bit of a mocking tone. "Omnimon, if you would be so kind to allow me this fight." Craniamon looked to Omnimon who thought about the battle scenario and nodded in response. "Very well then Cranimon. But be warned now, that this will likely be a fight you won't be able to win..." Craniamon smirked underneath his helmet and picked up his double bladed spear.

"Good, I've always wanted to fight against the holiest of Digimon. I hope you live up to your Archangel status... Seraphimon..." Craniamon said to Patamon who then put up a bravado because his Tamer was also willing to fight him. Craniamon then opened a portal below the two and said "I choose where we fight Archangel, and don't worry... If you win, you'll be able to return to your world. But that is assuming that you do live up to your title that is..." Patamon and Takeru then both said "It... Is... ON!" They then sunk into the portal which ended up closing as they went through.

Guilmon then asked Omnimon "How is it that you're able to summon portals at will?" Omnimon then responded "Well, it's mainly because of Yggdrasil's power that we are allowed to create portals into the Digital World. However, the reason why we couldn't simply go into your world on our own... Is the fact that, from Yggdrasil's dimension it requires more power on our parts, and we needed him to open the portal himself since he is the source of our power."

Guilmon then seems a bit confused by Omnimon's explanation. However, Kentaurosmon seemed to have some plans for the Tamers. "Now then, which one of you ladies wish to take me on? I must warn you, even for a female Digimon, I never hold back." The centaur Digimon said to Hikari and Suzie along with their partners. However, Suzie was the first to respond "I'll take your challenge! But I am expecting a challenge from you sir!"

Lopmon and everyone else was dumbstruck by Suzie's arrogance. "Um... Suzie... Are you okay?" Simon asked Suzie who responded "Of course I'm fine Simon! Ever since last night, I've wanted a decent fight! And now that these Knights are here, maybe I'll get that fight I was promised last night!" Kentaurosmon felt a bit insulted that this small girl is challenging him... But decided to hold off on complaints. "This time, I will let you pick the location little girl..." Suzie smiled with some confidence and inserted her core drill into her Digivice.

 **SPIRAL MATRIX EVOLUTION._**

 **Lopmon Spiral Matrix Evolve to... Cherubimon!**

Cherubimon then seemed to use it's powers to make Kentaurosmon float and moved him towards a new location. One where she is familiar with. Leopardmon then eyed Gatomon and was having some thoughts about fighting her. "Y'know what's one thing I want most? A good old fashioned Cat fight!" Gatomon then got into a fighting stance and said "Oh, now you wanna go? If so, then I'm all for it!" Leopardmon then felt amused by Gatomon's enthusiasm. "Hey! Omnimon! You good if I take on Ophanimon?" Leopardmon said to Omnimon who responded "That's fine with me. However, I need to seek out an opponent for Gankoomon."

Gankoomon then asked "Why's that? I mean sure Kentaurosmon picked the wrong time to be arrogant... But still, why can't they provide me with an opponent right now?" Crusadermon responded "Because I am taking on the girl and her pet fox." Renamon then felt offended by being referred to as a pet. But then, she remembered her own words and calmed herself. "Don't worry Renamon. Once we're alone with pinky there, all that rage is gonna go into destroying her!" Rika said, reassuring her partner before they would confront Crusadermon.

Simon however, was on the phone with someone. "Oh, Simon! How've you been lately?" The person on the other end of Simon's cell phone said. "Listen Taiki, I need you and Shoutmon over here asap!" Simon responded to Taiki who then said "Say no more! I'll be there before you know it!" Simon felt surprised by his quick response and said "Well... That was quick. Don't worry Gankoomon, your opponent will be here shortly!" Gankoomon was confused and asked "Who is it?" Simon then answered "You might know him as the red general of Xros Heart, Taiki Kudo along with his partner Shoutmon... Soon to be king of the Digital World!"

* * *

Omnimon was confused by what Simon meant by "Soon to be King of the Digital World". However, after a few minutes the answer appeared before him. Taiki Kudo rode on Dorulumon who was more than willing to give him a ride to the battle with Shoutmon. "Thanks Dorulumon. I appreciate the help you're giving us!" Taiki said dismounting from Dorulumon. "Don't mention it Taiki. You're my general after all." Taiki nodded and reloaded Dorulumon into his Xros Loader. "So, you're the Royal Knights... I gotta be honest, I thought there'd be more of you." Shoutmon said regarding Omnimon, Gankoomon, Leopardmon and Crusadermon.

"So, you must be Taiki Kudo. Leader of Xros Heart and the arch nemesis of Bagramon." Omnimon said to Taiki and Shoutmon. Taiki then asked "Wait, you know Bagramon!?" Gankoomon then approached Taiki and said "Of course we know Bagramon. Yggdrasil is in an alliance with him, and therefore we are affliated with Bagramon as well!" Shoutmon then pointed his Microphone staff at their would-be opponent and said "Well then, I guess that makes you fair game! Which means that if we take you down... That means one less of Bagra's goons to worry about!"

Omnimon then folds his arms and says "Technically we aren't with Bagramon, though he may be in an alliance with us, he has his own goals in mind." Simon and Taiki were both suprised to hear that part about Bagramon. "What do you mean by that?" Guilmon asks Omnimon who then pointed upwards and said "He wants something beyond the Archangels. And even beyond the almighty Digimon Sovereign." Rika didn't seem to understand the whole situation... However, Hikari and Gatomon seemed to understand what he meant by higher.

Shoutmon then responded "Well whatever it is that he wants... We're not gonna let him have it! You ready Taiki?!" Taiki nodded to Shoutmon's question and then inserted his core drill into his Xros Loader...

 **SPIRAL MATRIX EVOLUTION._**

 **Shoutmon, Spiral Matrix Evolve TO... KingShoutmon!**

KingShoutmon then stood tall in front of the Royal Knights who seemed to be impressed by this new form. "Well then, it looks like you really do live up to your king-like title huh Shoutmon?" Gankoomon said applauding Shoutmon for his form. "It's mostly thanks to my general that I can become this form... So, where would you like fight us Knight?" KingShoutmon asked Gankoomon who thought about the place where they'd do battle and snapped his fingers. "I know just the place!" He, like some of the other knights had created a portal to the Digital World and cued Shoutmon to follow him.

* * *

As soon as the portal closed, Hikari and Gatomon then snapped out of their somewhat state and decided to take Leopardmon up on his Cat-fight offer. Hikari then said "Alright, I'll take your challenge. But I'm choosing the place for us to fight, not you!" Leopardmon shrugged and responded "Sure, but be warned now little girl... Your stalling to choose a location can and will prompt me to pick a location much faster than you!"

Hikari was thinking about a location... Until Gatomon tugged at her pant leg and said "How about that temple we found nearby the woods?" Hikari then patted Gatomon on the head and said "We've chosen our arena for battle! There is a temple nearby the woods where Imperialdramon and Magnamon went! That is where we'll do battle!" Leopardmon then responded "Not bad, you two picked an area faster than I could. You humans must be quick thinkers when under pressure." Gatomon readied her claws and said "You shouldn't underestimate human beings. After all, out of all the things I've seen in this world Hikari's mother is the most intimidating thing you'll ever meet!" Hikari sighed at Gatomon's declaration and just inserted her core drill into her Digivice...

 **SPIRAL MATRIX EVOLUTION._**

 **Gatomon Spiral Matrix Evolve to... Ophanimon!**

Ophanimon shone with magnificence. She then motioned for Leopardmon to follow her. Though the cat-like Knight had difficulty at first, he eventually kept up with her. Rika and Renamon then focused their attention on Crusadermon who kept on eyeing her. "Fine, I'll take you on!" Rika said in some reluctance. "I'm glad you see it my way, and this whole time I've already thought of the perfect place for us!" Crusadermon responded to Rika before opening a portal below the three. Simon then inserted his core drill into his Digivice...

 **SPIRAL MATRIX EVOLUTION._**

 **Guilmon Spiral Matrix Evolve to... Gallantmon!**

Gallantmon now stood in front of Omnimon who said "So, you thought of our battlefield huh?" Gallantmon nodded and said "Follow me. We can't beat around the bush forever ya know..." Gallantmon then leapt off of buildings as Omnimon flew close by...

* * *

With Imperialdramon and Magnamon...

Imperialdramon remembered the lake in which he trained by. His Tamers had a secret weapon they would unveil unto Magnamon. "So, this is where you wish to die Lord Imperialdramon? By a lake? I honestly never took you as one who is fond of water... But nevertheless, here is where I prove to you that I am the superior Evolution!" Magnamon said taking up a fighting stance. Since the lake wasn't surrounded by a lot of trees, this would make Imperialdramon's fight a bit easier. However, he then begins to consider Magnamon's powers. Daisuke and Ken meanwhile were both thinking up a way to defeat Magnamon since they too, were aware of Magnamon's abilities. "So if he's capable of becoming invulnerable for a period of time, he'll actively abuse it." Daisuke said to Ken who then responded "However, if his radiance really is corrupted... Then he won't be able to keep it up for too long." Daisuke then thought up a method. "Well in that case, we should have a test of endurance for him to see how long he can keep up this invulnerablility." Daisuke suggested. "However, Magnamon will not be so easy to damage. But, when and if his radiance dies out... He'll be extremely vulnerable to whatever attack we may have for him. He doesn't know it yet, but that corrupted radiance of his is slowly dying out. Additionally his armor is rotting away little by little. So the moment when he loses it is when we strike!" Imperialdramon explained to his Tamers who then simultaneously said "Right!" Imperialdramon then got into a fighting stance and prepared to face Magnamon. "Now that you're done twiddling your thumbs, perhaps you'll realize that it's your time to die old man!" Magnamon then charged at Imperialdramon who was prepared for whatever Magnamon was about to throw at him...

 **Can Imperialdramon hope to defeat Magnamon? Or will his power be overwhelmed by the corrupted radiance!? Find out next time, On Digimon Tamers Crimson: Knights of Grim!**


	5. The Lakeside Battle!

The following is a non-profit Fanfiction. Digimon is owned by Toei Animation, Bandai and licensed by Saban Brands. Please support the official release, by buying the DVDs.

Digimon Tamers Crimson: Knights of Grim Episode 5: The Lakeside Battle! Imperialdramon vs Magnamon!

One month earlier...

Daisuke and Ken ended up recieving an unknown signal on their Digivices. When Daisuke went to Simon with this information, he seemed to not have a signal leading towards their would-be destination. "I guess maybe this is something you, Ken and your partners have to do on your own..." Simon said to Daisuke who then examined his Digivice to see exactly where he and Ken were going. Luckily this was after school and they were both able to go straight to this signal. Simon had led the duo to the temple where he continues his daily training within the woods, so that they could be inconspicuous when evolving V-Mon and Wormmon. "Alright, you'll be able to fly out here without arousing any attention. But do be careful of whatever's giving you two the signal. Otherwise... What the hell am I going to say to Jun and Ken's parents?"

They both nodded and evolved V-Mon and Wormmon into XV-Mon and Stingmon respectively. Simon meanwhile, was busy contemplating the fact that none of the other Tamers seemed to have received this signal. Though, in their case it must be because whatever's coming wants to do things in a... certain order. Albeit, this order is very unclear to Simon... But for now, he needs to trust the duo and wait to see how things will play out. "If I go with them, then I can see exactly what this whole shin-dig is about. However, I know that certain pest will harp on me for my need to be everywhere, so I'll just have to sit and wait for them to come back...

As the duo flew through the skies on the backs of their partners, the signal seemed to get closer to them as they went along with their Digivices. Once they touched down on the surface, they saw that the signal came from a lake that seemed to have a lack of trees surrounding it. "What's that light coming from the lake?" Ken asked Daisuke who looked to confirm on his Digivice. "I guess we need to go towards the light..." Daisuke said regarding the situation. However, they both noticed that neither of them had anything to swim with. However, it seems that whatever brought them here had other plans. A path of light appeared in front of them heading towards the center. V-Mon then proceeded to take a step onto the surface. Daisuke tried to grab V-Mon away from the surface... Only to see that he was now walking on the water. "Uh, Ken... Since when did we gain the ability to walk on water?" Daisuke asked regarding the current situation.

Ken proceeded to walk on the path and said "We're not walking on the water Davis. This path is merely a bridge for us." Daisuke then took a bit to process that, and they moved on towards the center of the lake. Once they reached the center, the light in the center seemed to teleport them below the surface of the water. There, they were greeted by the sight of what appears to be an ancient tablet written in Digi-code. V-Mon and Wormmon began to read the code and suddenly, the tablet started glowing and broke apart to reveal what appears to be two X's. Both of which flew into V-Mon and Wormmon. Both Digimon felt very light headed and appeared to have fallen unconscious. However, after a little bit they got up and felt a bit energized. "Daishuke, I know what that thing was! It was the X-Antibody!"

Daisuke and Ken were both puzzled by V-Mon'sanswer to this situation. However, Wormmon was able to provide an answer. "It was because of X-Virus Yggdrasil made but never got to use it. He had threatened the Digital World with it's use." Wormmon said regarding the whole situation. "However, there were scientists in the Digital World that were trying to make a countermeasure for such a virus. And together, with a mysterious informant they were able to create... The X-Antibody. Though, Yggdrasil ended up catching wind of that plan and only a few X-Antibodies made it out of that labratory in the Digital World. And it looks like one of them was located here." Daisuke and Ken then looked around their surroundings. "But why in the real world? Why not areas in the Digital World?" Ken asked the obvious question and that left both Wormmon and V-Mon pondering the reason why.

They then exited the area and decided to keep that area in mind. For what purpose, they have yet to identify. But one thing is for certain, if the X-Antibody chooses to become active to only one Tamer at a time... In what order are the others to be determined remains a mystery. But nevertheless, Daisuke and Ken decided to Evolve V-Mon and Stingmon before flying away on their backs. The moment the X-Antibody integrated into V-Mon and Wormmon... Was the moment that the signal on their Digivices, and the light within the lake died at the same time. Once they returned back to Simon's temple, they explained to him what had just happened and that prompted him to ask Guilmon about the X-Antibody, to which he had no idea about since he was born the day Simon gained a D-Power. And afterwards, the moment when another Antibody appears is when someone else may receive a signal on their Digivice.

* * *

Present day...

Imperialdramon was reminiscing about the day he discovered this location. Though he didn't seem to have time to continue, since his opponent was flying straight at him. "STOP STARING OFF AND FIGHT ME!" Magnamon yelled at Imperialdramon who put up both arms to block the attack. He was sent flying back, but then stopped himself with his wings. "That's it? I thought your radiance was stronger than that!" Imperialdramon taunted Magnamon who then flew at the Dragon-knight full speed... Only for his blow to be met by another block. The two then started matching each others blows. But after a while, Imperialdramon broke away and fired an attack at Magnamon who started glowing and sheilding himself from the attack. "I see, your radiance still shines quite brightly. But the question is... How long can you keep it up?" Imperialdramon asked Magnamon who responded "Long enough to kill you and prove who is truly the superior evolution."

Imperialdramon then flew back a bit and asked "By the way... What is that on your face?" Magnamon then started feeling his face for anything unusual and responded "There isn't anything wrong with my face. You're just making things up just to distrac-" He was then interrupted by hit to his face. "The response would be... Pain. That's what's on your face right now." Magnamon then grew very frustrated at Imperialdramon and then started throwing more punches at him, only for those attacks to immediately be countered by his opposition. Magnamon then proceeded to throw Imperialdramon into the water below them. "Hope you enjoy your swim!" He yelled to Imperialdramon who then made a huge splash upon landing in the lake. Underwater however, Imperialdramon landed on the bottom of the lake and started to think of a strategy to defeat his opponent.

* * *

"Any ideas Daisuke?" Imperialdramon asked his Tamer who started to ponder along with Ken on what to do. However, they both seemed to have the same epiphany. "How about we use your attack down here to distract Magnamon. And then we charge at him!" Daisuke ultimately suggested and Imperialdramon prepared his cannon for a stealth attack. Magnamon meanwhile was waiting for Imperialdramon to strike. "C'mon then! What's the hold up!? You sit there under the water for so long, and now you decide that you give up?! If I had known that this was the true side of Lord Imperialdramon, I would've sided with Yggdrasil a long time ago!" He said ranting about how right now, he's not seeing any reaction. However, he then saw a ball of energy shoot out from the water and almost hit him. "What was that all about!?" He asked before another attack greeted him.

Though this time he deflected the energy ball... But after looking down long enough, he saw that Imperialdramon came at him with an aerial drop-kick, that knocked him into another section of the lakeside. Magnamon then got up, slightly angrier than before and he proceeded to charge up an attack for Imperialdramon. "Now you've done it! You've pissed me off!" He then started to glow as he curled up into himself. Imperialdramon then noticed that his armor was starting to rust a bit faster with the amount of energy he's exuding. "Once this attack hits, it will leave this land forever scarred! So if you think you're superior to me, then by all means! Take the impact at full force!" Imperialdramon thought about how powerful the attack would be, since the attacker was slowly losing his armor due to the amount of power he's using increasing.

Upon seeing this, Imperialdramon flew out of range from a potential attack. However, all that it seemed to do was ignite a pillar of light that could be seen from quite a ways away. Imperialdramon covered his eyes since he was the closest to the pillar and it seemed that the two Tamers were also blinded by this intese light... Despite being within the Data core. Once the light died out, it seemed a new form appeared nearby the lakeside. This form appeared to be Magnamon, only about as big as Omnimon and with larger armor pieces. There were glowing parts on his armor which were his shoulders, knees, hands and waist. His helmet was much pointier than usual in terms of his equipment. Although the rust was still somewhat evident on his armor... But not as evident as before.

* * *

Imperialdramon then landed and said "Where did you even get an X-Antibody!?" Magnamon takes a moment to admire his new form before speaking. "This was a gift from my lord Yggdrasil. And now I can see why you knights would cherish this power so much! It's because it makes you much more powerful than you were beforehand! And now... My radiance will shine even brighter than before!" He then proceeded to use his armor to blind Imperialdramon. He didn't see the knight slowly walk up to him and punch him in the face. Imperialdramon was then forced back and couldn't seem to find his opponent. However, Magnamon then seemed to teleport behind him and proceeded to kick him. Imperialdramon was once again sent flying and was then hit by Magnamon again. After a while of hitting Imperialdramon around in the sky, Magnamon then grabbed his leg and threw him into the distant forest. Imperialdramon got up and asked "Ugh... Why do I feel like a pinball right now?" Daisuke inside the data sphere with Ken concurred with Imperialdramon regarding his current situation.

Imperialdramon then closed his eyes and tried to sense his opponent. However, something seems to be blocking his senses. "It must be the X-Antibody! He's using that to stop us from sensing him!" Daisuke assumed based on the power exuding from Magnamon. "If that's the case, then how are we gonna beat it!? Imperialdramon can't really see him and whatever he can't see, we can't see! And relying on that sensing ability Simon taught us with Spiral Energy isn't gonna work!" Ken said regarding the fact that they can't see anything when Magnamon is using his ability. Imperialdramon, along with his tamers then thought of an easy way to beat him. "Magnamon, I can see that your radiance shines brighter than usual. Though I have to say... Green doesn't really suit you all that well."

Magnamon then continued making his armor shine on Imperialdramon who, unbeknownst to him... Didn't have his eyes open. "Green is a much better color than gold anyway! And besides, how on earth would you know what works for me!? Huh!?" Magnamon said before getting hit by Imperialdramon's gauntlet. "What the!?" Magnamon then said as he was getting pummeled by what appeared to be a blind Imperialdramon. "Argh! How in the hell did you do that!?" Magnamon asked Imperialdramon who he tried to blind again... Only to receive no sign of hesitation from the ruler of the knights. "If your opponent likes to speak... Then have him speak as many words as possible." Imperialdramon said clearly hiding somewhere. Magnamon was now puzzled as to where his opponent was instead of the other way around. Magnamon then saw Imperialdramon above him with a charged laser that fired at Magnamon, who wasn't prepared for the attack.

Magnamon after taking an impact like that, felt a bit worn down since he had to use his light to shield himself. However, now his armor was significantly weakened. "That is it! I've had it up to here with this! No more senses! You will experience my radiant glow and die!" However, when he tried using his armor, it wouldn't respond due to all the rust surrounding it. "What? But! When did all of this happen!?" Magnamon asked no one in particular. But Imperialdramon responded "It began the moment you decided to fight for cruelty and superiority over other Digimon instead of truth and justice." Magnamon then got extremely angry at his former master and punched Imperialdramon into the water. He then charged an energy blast in his hand and said "Now... Go to hell Imperialdramon!"

The blast then created a shockwave that was so powerful, that most of the water in the lake spouted upwards and back down all at once. Magnamon then started to float away from Imperialdramon. "I can't wait to tell Omnimon about my recent accomplishment! Although I'll need to get new armor... But who cares?! I just defeated Imperialdramon!" Suddenly, Imperialdramon appeared out of the water glowing a bright greenish blue color and holding a large sword in his right hand. "I'm sorry, who exactly have you beaten now? Because I could have sworn that you said that you bested me! The thing about killing your opponent is that, you have to make sure that either their Data is spilling out of them... Or there's blood spewing out of the victim's body!" Another noticeable feature on Imperialdramon is that, his chest piece now has an X-Shape center instead of a dragon-like center on his normal design.

* * *

Magnamon, upon seeing the X shape center on Imperialdramon's chestplate realized what exactly had happened. "You have an X-Antibody!?" Magnamon yelled to Imperialdramon who responded "That is correct. What you're seeing right now is my new form, simply known as... Imperialdramon X!" Magnamon then tried in futility to use his armor to blind Imperialdramon, only to find that his armor is now worthless. "Your armor had been slowly rusting itself as you have deviated from your true path. And since you cannot hope to return to that path... Your defeat became certain the moment you mouthed off to me and my Tamers..." Magnamon once again felt anger boil up in him and tried to strike Imperialdramon with high speed movement that he still had... Only for Imperialdramon to sense his movements and counter him at each turn.

"How dare you... HOW DARE YOU! You always had all the answers! You knew exactly what we were without even understanding us! So of course you weren't suprised in the slightest when fighting me huh!?" Imperialdramon seemed suprised at Magnamon's words. But then he responded "I was an idealist. I wanted to know about the Digital World before recruiting my knights. I truly didn't know what I was to do with any personal struggle that my comrades go through. I was much like you all, naive and hopeless to the world. I tried to make everyone feel like they had a place within the Royal Knights, especially you Magnamon! But I let you all down. I didn't know about Yggdrasil's brand until it was too late, and I had thought that none of you would succumb to the dark power of it." Magnamon's armor then started to change color all of a sudden. It went from a rusted gold... To solid black. Though Imperialdramon tried sympathizing with the Armor Digimon, he had no idea that this would happen.

* * *

"You were right on many things Imperialdramon. But one thing's for sure, is that I now have a new trick up my sleeve. This dark armor, graciously donated by lord Yggdrasil has now given me the power to blind others... Not by light, but by darkness instead! I shall dub this form of mine... Dark Magnamon X!" Magnamon said preparing his next attack for Imperialdramon. He then cast a dark void over the entire area, thus shrouding everything around Imperialdramon and Magnamon in a pitch black void. Imperialdramon then looked in the surrounding area for Magnamon, who could be just about anywhere with his new power. "If that is how it is... I shall grant you your hidden wish." Imperialdramon said before closing his eyes and raising his sword in the air.

However, as he was charging his attack to destroy the dark void... Magnamon then charged at him and started striking the former leader. "So, what's this hidden wish I have?! Is it my radiance!? Or a place at your side?! What could it be my lord!? WHAT IS IT!?" Magnamon asked as he was striking Imperialdramon left and right. Imperialdramon then struck his sword into the ground and with a powerful light... Destroyed the dark void and blinded Magnamon in the process. "What the? Where are you!? How did you even do that!?" Magnamon asked as he aimlessly searched around him for Imperialdramon... Only to be answered with what he guessed was, a sword through his chest. "That, is where your radiance went. My blade is one of the purest of the Digital World, and it only has two equals... The Falchion that Gallantmon wields, and Omnimon's transcendant sword. The light that emitted from the blade, dispells all darkness within the surrounding area and thus... Blinded you in your arrogance." Magnamon felt as though Imperialdramon had not only broken him physically... But also verbally.

Though the Armor Digimon did not have time to ponder how and why... As he was slowly fading away from the world that he was currently in. "So this is how my life ends... And it's a shame I don't even get to see my killer. Though it is fitting that it'd be someone vastly stronger than me." Magnamon said to himself before he felt someone grip his hand. "No. Your willpower to become stronger is what makes you stronger than any of us. I just wish that your strength was acheived through the right methods. Rather than by Yggdrasil or his master." Imperialdramon said trying to reassure Magnamon who chuckled weakly and responded "So, you know about that little detail. Tis a shame, I was gonna blow your mind with this big dramatic reveal. But no, instead you gotta find out by some informant. And if your ideal Digital World is one without suffering for any of us, but rather one of peace and love... Then keep working towards it. I'm sure Gallantmon can lead you towards success. Anyway, I think this is the part where you admit to feeling some guilt about killing one of your own. But you won't do that out loud... You'd rather wait until I'm... Gone..."

Magnamon with his final words, faded from existence. And Imperialdramon merely watched as his data scattered throughout the human world. And the brand that Yggdrasil had given the knight... Had faded away along with him. Though instead of becoming data, it turned into nothingness. Imperialdramon then thought to himself about what Magnamon had said. "Perhaps he was right after all. Though he was my enemy, I do express regret over killing one of my own bretherin. And I'm almost positive that Gallantmon feels the same way." Daisuke and Ken also felt a bit sad about killing Magnamon, since they were a part of Imperialdramon they understood how he felt about the whole scenario.

* * *

Imperialdramon then collapsed onto the ground and de-fusing into an exhausted Daisuke and co. "Quick... Question... Daisuke." Ken said in between breaths. Daisuke looked over at Ken and responded "Yeah... What is... It?" Ken then asked "How were we still standing?!" They were still breathing heavily and after a while before catching his breath, Daisuke responded "Honestly, I don't know. I think it's because of our willpower and combined strength with our Digimon. And speaking of which..." He then points towards their Digimon who are know Chibimon and Minomon. They were both sleeping nearby a tree confirming that they took more of a toll than either of their Tamers. Daisuke and Ken then grabbed their Digimon and held them underneath the tree, waiting for their strength to return. "So Ken, you think the others won their fights yet?" Daisuke asked Ken who thought about it and responded "It's very much possible since we were successful. So I'd say, why not?"

Daisuke shrugged his shoulders and both he and Ken looked onto the distance. "It really must have been hard for V-Mon and Wormmon to kill their friend like that. I mean, think about it... They've been through god knows what together as comrades, and now because of Yggdrasil and his boss Grima, we had to kill him." Daisuke said considering the whole situation. "I know. But there comes a time and a place for weakness. And like he said, they'd only show weakness when he's not around. Just like I didn't show a lot of weakness towards an interview. At home though... I ended up sighing in relief that I was able to get through that whole thing without sweating bullets." Daisuke now felt a bit of clarity from his friend and they both felt like laughing for a bit.

"So Ken, once this whole thing is over, do you think we'll truly have some peace?" Daisuke asked looking in the distance. Ken then responded "Well, peace isn't entirely possible since there's always something to disrupt peace in some way/shape/form. Daisuke, I have to ask though... What do you want to do?" Daisuke thought very carefully about this "Actually, despite what everyone thinks... I really want to make and sell noodles to people." Ken was a bit confused by this confession and asks "Why's that?" Daisuke later responded "Well, I've always had a thing for noodles and I wanted to try my hand at cooking. Which is why next year, I'm gonna be taking a cooking class to go along with my academics. Though I do have to wonder if Taichi wants to do what everyone thinks I want to do."

Ken was a bit moved by Daisuke's reasoning and then said "Well, my dream is to become a detective on the police force. Since I like to find out about a lot of things, and know about a lot of people... Maybe detective work is the kind of work I need. Though, I may end up pissing off Simon if I end up doing that." Daisuke was a bit curious about that last part and asked "Why? Is it because being a detective is his job?" Ken shook his head and answered "It's because... Nia wants to join the police force as well. But as an officer rather than a detective." Daisuke then slowly understood his friend's issue and said "Maybe you should ask Simon if how he'd feel about this. I'm sure he'd be fine with you working there." Ken then asks "You sure he'll take it fine?" Daisuke then gives him a thumbs up as though to signify approval. They then sat there and continued waiting for their partners to wake up.

名前： Magnamon  
場所：レイクサイド  
ステータス：削除


	6. Dueling Cats! Ophanimon vs Leopardmon!

The Following is a non-profit Fanfiction. Digimon is owned by Toei Animation, Bandai and licensed by Saban Brands. Please support the official release by buying the DVDs...

Digimon Tamers Crimson: Knights of Grim Episode 6: Dueling Cats! Ophanimon vs Leopardmon!

One month earlier...

Hikari Kamiya had recieved word from Daisuke about this mysterious X-Antibody, and decided to check things out as soon as she got a signal. However, when she got to the location where the signal was... She was in a snow covered forest in Hokkaido. She had flown there as Ophanimon, though she hadn't expected the area to be so empty... With the exception of all the trees in the area. "G-G-Gatomon, r-r-remind me to always p-p-pack a j-j-jacket next time!" Hikari said shivering nearby her partner who merely responded "Noted. I'm still surprised that you humans get so cold so easily. Though maybe it would've been better if Daisuke was here to warm you up."

Hikari's face then became an interesting shade of red. "Gatomon! Don't say things like that!" Hikari yelled at her partner before going back to shivering. Hikari then kept on walking through the woods with her partner who kept on looking at her out of concern for her health. However, they came across a clearing in the woods that seem to be in an arrangement, likely for some kind of trap. Gatomon and Hikari noticed this almost immediately, though her Digivice insisted that the signal was in this specific area. They both didn't really understand it, but then they realized... They do have to walk into the obvious trap. "Don't worry Kari, I'll make sure you don't hurt yourself! Just leave it to me!" Gatomon then picked up Hikari by her legs which shocked and confused her at first... Until they fell into the pit.

Hikari felt like screaming, but then they landed relatively sooner than expected. "Thanks Gatomon. I don't know what I'd do if you weren't here right now." Hikari said thanking her partner who responded "Likewise Hikari, I'd probably still be wandering around the human world as a Salamon instead of where I am right now." Hikari then picked up Gatomon in her arms and hugged her affectionately. But then, they noticed their surroundings and saw that there was a mural like the one V-Mon had described. Gatomon ended up translating the digicode and suddenly a bright pink light emitted and out came a strange looking X-Antibody. One that seemed to be contained in a sphere, rather than outside of the sphere waiting for the Digimon in question to respond to it. Hikari grabbed the spherical X-Antibody and gave it to Gatomon, knowing what it will do for her.

Gatomon then pressed the sphere inside herself and for a moment, she started to glow bright pink. Though afterwards she stopped glowing and looked at her Tamer. "Hikari, this antibody is a unique one. It will not only grant me strength, but also give me a new power along with it." Hikari then pondered what that power was... Before more Digicode appeared on the walls indicating that there's more to this temple than they intially thought. At first, they thought that Gatomon could easily translate this... But as it so happens, she can't seem to make out what any of the text says. After a while of scoping the temple out Hikari and Gatomon decided to mark the location on a map on Hikari's phone. They then merged into Ophanimon and flew out of the temple and headed back home to report what had transpired. Daisuke, unsurprisingly was quite worried about Hikari and was somewhat worried that Taichi might be watching from somewhere.

* * *

Present day...

Ophanimon then landed in the temple where she obtained the X-Antibody. Once she landed inside, she awaited her opponent. "Alright, once he gets here it's go time!" She said to herself waiting for Leopardmon. Hikari inside the data sphere was getting admittedly nervous about the whole ordeal. "Gatomon, do we have a plan for this opponent or no?" Hikari asked her partner from within and she responded "I may be an Archangel. But the Royal Knights are something that came recently in the Digital World. And unfortunately, the Archangels were all but terminated in the Digital World due to the demon lords' attack, which happened roughly around Twenty five years before all of this happened. They had targetted us with their numbers and struck us at our weakest. The only one of us who had not been deleted was Cherubimon... But that was only because we had sent a message to her beforehand. She was reduced to her Ultimate form and fled to Zhuqiaomon for assistance. And it was only when the Legendary warriors arrived to save the day for someone to stop the demon lords. Unfortunately for us... We weren't able to assist them in their struggle against the Demon lords. At least now that we're with a group of humans, we can help out a new generation of Tamers for their struggle against themselves and evil Digimon. Now all we can hope for is that we will be victorious in each of our battles."

Hikari was paying quite a lot of attention to Ophanimon's speech... But then her thoughts turned to Daisuke and Ken with their fight against Magnamon. "Daisuke... I wanna see if I got just as strong as you and Ken did! So I hope in some way, you're watching me!" After a while of tense nervousness, they continued waiting for their opponent. And waiting... And waiting... And waiting... Until they got bored and defused back into Hikari and Gatomon.

"Seriously! What's keeping him from finding us!?" Hikari yelled out of impatience. Gatomon shared a similar feeling to Hikari, but internally rather than externally. "I wonder if he paid attention to where we were going?" She asked her Tamer who pondered a few reasons why he might be late... A few of which had to do with paranoia. Which then made Hikari paranoid about the leopard knight. She started to pace around the temple grounds as thought to keep her guard up. "Hikari, what are you thinking?" Gatomon asked her tamer who responded "Well, I was thinking... What if he was hiding around in the forest, just waiting for us to go insane from fear and anticipation? Or what if, he dug underground and was eavesdropping on us during our conversation? Or... What if, he was never there to begin with and we need to go back and help the others!" Gatomon then jumped up at Hikari's face and used her eyes to put the girl into a bit of a sleep.

"She'll wake up once I poke her in the nose." Gatomon said to herself before deciding to wait by reading one of Hikari's books that she had in her case at school. "I'm surprised that she kept this around. Now let's see where exactly I left off." She then skimmed through the book's pages in order to find exactly where she left off and she found it. She was later sitting on top of her Tamer's abdomen while reading the book. Though it was still cold outside, Hikari was fine with what she was wearing since, as it seems... The temple was warm enough for snow to melt and cold air to not matter at all to those on the inside. "I do have to wonder though... Does he know where we are right now? Or is there something impeding him at the moment?"

* * *

Meanwhile...

Leopardmon was eyeing something in front of him. It seemed to be the dock at first glance, but upon looking further... It was the water. "I am a Royal Knight. My target may be headed for another island in the distance... But the water is currently impeding me. Should I swim in it... Or should I threaten someone to allow me a ride?" Leopardmon said to himself, though he noticed that a boat was headed towards Hokkaido. After a bit of pondering... He decided to take a ride on the boat. "It may not be my style... But whatever!" He then jumped to the boat which seemed to hold up his weight as well as the other passengers aboard. Inside the boat, the passengers seemed to notice a thump on top of the boat. "Huh? What the hell was that?" One of them asked.

Another one, dressed like a sailor went up to check what was going on... Only to notice Leopardmon who then said "Scream, and I will make sure you don't live to sail again." The sailor was intimidated by the sight of the knight and his words. When the sailor came down, the other passenger asked "So what was it?" The sailor pondered a response and came up with "It was nothing, we'll keep on sailing." Afterwards, the boat continued towards it's destination. "Excellent. Soon, this inconvience of mine simply known as water shall be conquered. And I shall finally reach my opponent! Though I do have to wonder... Which one of us will die first? Omnimon did say there would be some casualties on our side. But he never did specify in which order... Oh well, no need to dwell on it now. All that matters is the destination, how you reach it is of no consequence to me...

After the boat had arrived at the dock in Hokkaido, Leopardmon leaped off the boat and continued to jump through the trees, towards where Ophanimon had been going. "I wonder, why lead me all this way? Towards an area that I am unfamiliar with? Maybe it's so that they could use whatever unknown part of the terrain against me! Or maybe, it's just to set up a trap with the environment and the destructive capabilities of said Archangel. Either way... I'm gonna simply adapt to the situation and destroy her!" He said to himself as he kept on leaping towards his objective. He then came across the snowy area of Hokkaido in the north, where he knew Ophanimon had gone to since he saw her fly towards the northern area of the island.

* * *

"So, this is snow huh?" He asks himself as he picks up a chunk of snow in his hand. He then looks to the sky and says "We have a lot things that this world has... But why not snow? It seems harmless enough. Maybe, there's an unknown arctic region in the Digital World that we're unaware of... Or maybe it might have been deserted thanks to the Icedevimon incident. That Digimon has been trying to betray Yggdrasil the moment he alligned himself with him, just for a human partner who could give him the power to evolve. Such nonsense! No one can defeat Yggdrasil! And those who try will feel ours and his wrath!" He proceeded to walk through the snow and take in the site of this snow covered forest. However, before he could explore the woods fully he came across a whole in the middle of the woods. "So that's where they are..." He said to himself before jumping into the hole. "Now then Ophanimon, prepare for your defea-" Leopardmon was declaring to Gatomon who had finished reading her book.

"Oh, you're finally here. What? Was it rush hour before you even got here?" Gatomon asked before putting her book back into Hikari's bag. She then poked Hikari's nose which woke her up. "Ugh... Gatomon, how long was I asleep?" Hikari asked Gatomon who responded "A couple hours, and Leopardmon's here." Hikari's eyes widened in shock as she took in the sight of the Royal Knight that she's been paranoid about. "Now I know what you're thinking... What took me so long right? Well, it's quite simple... I-" Leopardmon was about to explain, but was interrupted by a simultaneous "GET ON WITH IT!" From both Gatomon and Hikari. Leopardmon felt disappointed by not being able to explain his journey, and he was then greeted by a voice from the sky that also said "GET ON WITH IT!" Leopardmon then grew frustrated and responded "Fine then! But first, your mega form please."

Hikari then spiral matrix evolved with Gatomon to become Ophanimon once again. They were about to engage in combat, until Leopardmon noticed on one the walls was some digicode. "I see that you've been exploring this temple Ophanimon. Though I am disappointed in your lack of knowledge regarding the Digicode. But nonetheless, I will translate this and give us a proper arena to duel in." Ophanimon was a bit surprised by Leopardmon's declaration and asked "How would you know of this temple's functionality? You've never been here before until now!" Leopardmon then answered "Most temples within the Digital World were designed for the purpose of training grounds. Those that trained in them were among us Mega levels and some of the powerful Ultimate levels. They were ideal locations for us Royal Knights to hone our skills and prepare for what was to come."

Ophanimon then watched as Leopardmon translated the Digicode on the wall. And suddenly, just like that... The temple started to change shape. The room distorted into what appeared to be an arena that was wide enough for one to be able to fly, and to jump onto the walls. However, the floor seemed to lower itself further from the hole on top of the ceiling. "How do you think we're gonna handle this? At first I thought we'd have the home field advantage. But now, he looks like he's got it all figured out!" Hikari said in the data sphere. "Calm down Hikari. We have to think of a strategy we can use against him." Ophanimon responded to her and Hikari then proceeded to think about the room in question. "If we fly around here, he'll just pounce on us and repeat that process until we've given in. And if we stay on the ground, we won't be able to use some of our most powerful attacks. How am I supposed to beat this giant cat Digimon!?" As she was thinking this, an idea came to her. "That's it."

Hikari then told Ophanimon on the inside her plan and she adopted a fighting stance against Leopardmon who also took up a stance before turning into his Leopard form. "Now then Ophanimon, let's see you avoid this tactic." He then proceeded to jump onto a wall and proceeded to move around on it. "C'mon then! Let's see what the archangels are made of!" He said waiting for Ophanimon to make a move. She then generated a sphere of light in her left hand and threw it in front of Leopardmon. He then looked at this light with curiosity and looked back at Ophanimon who had her left hand behind her back unbeknownst to him. He then tried touching the sphere... Only for it to move away from him.

He then continued to chase the sphere, while glancing back at Ophanimon around the arena walls. "I don't know what you're up to... But, I will find out once I destroy this sphere!" He said as he kept on jumping at it. Ophanimon then muttered "Sefirot Crystals..." And six other spheres appeared around Ophanimon. She then fired the crystals at Leopardmon who didn't really expect the attack. And the impact resulted in a small explosion. Leopardmon then exited out of his Leopard mode and landed back onto the ground. "So, you wish to play that game huh? Fine then, let's see how your reaction speed is!" He said before pulling out a rapier blade. Ophanimon then summoned her Javelin and took a fighting stance to prepare for Leopardmon's onslaught. He charged at her with immense speed. Ophanimon had barely enough time to react to Leopardmon's attack which was so fast and powerful, that it caused a visible impact on the wall.

The more Leopardmon attacked, the more impacts appeared on the walls, to the point where Ophanimon felt she had to fly out of the temple before it collapsed on them. Leopardmon then followed suit into the snow covered forest. Ophanimon looked around in the skies for Leopardmon assuming that he can't fly, despite both his forms not having wings. She then felt one of his rapier attacks hit her in the abdomen. She saw that Leopardmon was relying on the attack speed to get any visable damage from the ground, since he can't fly. "So that's what he's up to..." Ophanimon muttered to herself before flying around to try and avoid his attacks. As he kept on attacking he said "I have trained myself to be one of the fastest Digimon in the Digital world! Sure I won't ever come close to Ulforceveedramon, but... I can increase my attack's speed to the point that it becomes a projectile! So give up Archangel! You! Have! Lost!"

However, what he didn't see coming was Ophanimon's javelin being launched at him. The resulting explosion from the Javelin caused quite a bit of damage to the forest, though not as much as it would have been... If she were using the new power that she had acquired. Ophanimon's Javelin then flew back towards her and into her hand. "You think it's over Ophanimon?" Hikari asked Ophanimon within the sphere to which Ophanimon then responded "Does being over mean glowing from the area I just blew up?" Hikari sweat-dropped at Ophanimon's response and said "Never mind I asked. Do you think we should use our X-Antibody right now?" Ophanimon then looked down and responded "Honestly, at this point... I think it might be a good option." Ophanimon then looked deep inside herself to find the X-Antibody, which was then triggered by her own power. However, before she could transform... A beam hit Ophanimon and knocked her back onto the ground. "You think I wouldn't see that coming! Besides, from what I've been informed... You have an emotional crutch. A human you've grown attached to. Someone... You've fallen in love with."

Ophanimon got up and pointed her Javelin at Leopardmon X and asked "What are you on about?" Leopardmon then pointed towards a different part of the forest where it seems that a wolf-man like Digimon is pointing a tommy gun at an already wounded Daisuke. Hikari from within the data sphere looked at where Daisuke was, and her eyes widened in shock. "D-Daisuke?" She said with sadness in her eyes. Ophanimon was confused at first but then, the Digimon spoke to her. "Unless you want your precious human's blood on your hand... Surrender and die to Leopardmon." Ophanimon was about to question his motives, until she remembered whom this Digimon was. "You're one of the Demon Lords like Beelzemon aren't you?"

The wolf man then responded "Yes, I was known as Belphemon once upon a time. But in this incarnation... I am known as Astamon." Leopardmon started laughing maniacally at Ophanimon's predicament. "Y-you Bastard! How dare you!" Ophanimon yelled to Leopardmon who responded "From your fight with Beelstarrmon, which we were watching... I could deduce that your human and this human had a thing for one another, and therefore you've allowed yourself an emotional crutch. Take that away, and you're basically limping around on the forest floor. So now Archangel, I'm afraid this time... You've lost. And like Astamon said, if you choose to be the Heartless Angel that you are... Then you'll lose your most precious possession. However, if you do surrender... I'm sure we'll allow him to live. But then again, you'd die. Your choice Ophanimon..."

Ophanimon then looked between Astamon and Leopardmon to think up a strategy to get Daisuke back and defeat Leopardmon at the same time. Unfortunately, nothing has come up. It was then that Ophanimon noticed that Hikari was then getting increasingly angry at the whole scenario... So much so, that the X-Antibody within her activated on her emotions. "Hikari, stop! If you don't calm down, we'll both end up in danger!" Ophanimon yelled to her tamer who responded "I DON'T CARE! DAISUKE'S IN TROUBLE AND WE HAVE TO SAVE HIM NO MATTER WHAT!" Ophanimon then took on a very dark appearance with her wings going from angel wings to devil wings and her chest plate hosting a dark X logo on the center. However, her Javelin seems to have gone missing and in return, a scythe appeared behind her, thus signifying her turn into a fallen angel.

 **つづく**


	7. Ophanimon, has fallen

The Following is a non-profit Fanfiction. Digimon is owned by Toei Animation, Bandai and licensed by Saban Brands. Please support the official release, by buying the DVDs.

Digimon Tamers Crimson: Knights of Grim Episode 7: Ophanimon has Fallen...

Earlier...

By the lakeside, Daisuke and Ken had finished their fight with Magnamon... And are waiting for their Digimon to recover, so they can help their friends. Daisuke had woken up before Ken since they were both sleeping on differents sides of one tree. Daisuke had then decided to go on a walk through the woods to take in the scenery. Unfortunately for him, one Digimon who had become an ally to the Royal Knights was watching him. Hoping for a chance to get him alone. And now, that chance has come. "Time to put Leopardmon's plan in motion." The Digimon had said while prepping his tommy gun for what he was about to do. Daisuke meanwhile, was busy reflecting on a lot of things in his life. But really the one thing that stood out, was his relationship with Hikari. Though now with Taichi back in the human world, he worries about his reaction to their somewhat intimacy. But at the moment, he doesn't care about that. Instead he worries about how Hikari's doing in her fight with the royal knights. "I don't even know who she's fighting right now. It could be that big guy with the spears, or even the pink one with the shield. The thing I want right now, is to see how she's doing and to support her through this fight no matter what!" Daisuke was saying, wishing that he could be where she is right now. Unfortunately, his wish might come to him... But not in the way that he wanted. "Are you sure that's what you want boy?" The Digimon stalking him asked Daisuke who was somewhat confused by the sudden response.

"Who's there!?" Daisuke asked, but all he got... Was a shot straight through his abdomen. He had then checked his stomach to see a hole on the left side. He then started to fall unconscious from the shot itself. His last thoughts before his vision faded was not of Jun, or his friends... But rather of his lover. "H-hikari..." He muttered before he passed out from the attack. The Digimon who shot him went up to check on the wound he caused. He looked closely at it, and he determined that, he had not mortally wounded him. "Okay good. This punk's still alive. Leopardmon will be pleased to hear that he still has leverage. And all this time, I thought he was crazy to think Ophanimon had a heart. It wasn't until I found out from the horse's mouth himself that at least one part of her was in love. Though I am pretty lucky on this one. Because, this is the human world, they bleed. Therefore, it's a helluva lot easier to check and see if he's dying. His clothing should stall the bleeding for now." The Digimon had said before picking the boy up and creating a portal to Leopardmon's location. Later, Ken and the others woke up. "Well, Ken me and V-Mon are ready for anything!" Wormmon said to Ken who was looking for someone. "Ken, what'sh going on? Did you lose shomething?" V-Mon asked Ken who responded "No, I lost someone. Daisuke's gone." V-Mon's eyes widened in shock "Daishuke's g-g-gone? Where did he go?" He asked Ken who kept on calling Daisuke's name in a vain attempt to find his best friend. "Wormmon, I need to get you to Stingmon, since you're the only Digimon here who can evolve right now." Wormmon nodded and Ken slashed an evolution card for Wormmon. V-Mon and Ken then jumped onto his back as he flew around looking for Daisuke...

* * *

Now...

Ophanimon had taken on a new form against Leopardmon X, who had gotten quite bigger, with larger shoulder pads, gauntlets and any other part of his armor. His Rapier had turned into what appeared to be a lightsaber variant. And his helmet plume had become more like a mane rather than a plume. "Ophanimon, falldown mode is what I am known by." Ophanimon said declaring her new form's identity. "I don't care what form you take with that antibody, the bargain still stands! Either you give up... Or the boy dies!" Leopardmon said repeating the demand he had asked her earlier. Unfortunately for him, Ophanimon had other plans in mind. Her scythe had disappeared from her hand and it now hovered over Astamon. Leopardmon noticed this and tried to warn Astamon, but it was too late. After Astamon was decapitated by Ophanimon's scythe, his head fell to the ground fading alongside his body. "My only regret... Was not being able... To win the battle for ya..." He said before disintigrating into data. What Leopardmon didn't expect was a somewhat emotionless Ophanimon who had an immense darkness radiating from herself. She was then absorbing Astamon's data into her form, and her personality took on a bit of a change. "This power... It feels like I might explode or something." Ophanimon said further confusing Leopardmon with her demeanor. "I don't know what the hell happened! One minute she was just sitting there doing nothing due to the situation at hand. But now, she's getting pleasure from ruthlessly murdering Astamon." Leopardmon thought to himself before taking up a fighting stance. "Alright then, archangel! You may have changed forms but that doesn't matter! You killed one of my most loyal henchmen. And for that, I'll make you suffer. So prepare yourself Ophanimon for my true power!" He then charged full speed at the archangel, not knowing what she would do to him.

Hikari then felt herself go a little insane afterwards. "Alright then, let's see what you're made of." She said before giving a creepy smile towards Leopardmon, who charged at her with his Rapier in front. After Ophanimon was stabbed by Leopardmon's rapier, the cat Digimon smiled and said "Perfect! I got a mortal injury on her!" However... "hehehehehehehehehehehe..." Leopardmon heard Ophanimon suddenly giggling at the pain. But then, her laughter got even worse. "HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! Is that really all you've got big boy! I'm sure you could do a helluva lot better than that!" Leopardmon then stepped away from the archangel and analyzed her. "I thought that Ophanimon would simply give in the moment I present that boy over there. But now I see that she's a whole different behemoth." He thought to himself before looking at the suddenly closed wound. " _Impossible! I stabbed her with my blade! Therefore, data should be pouring out of her at this very moment! How is she healing herself!? It doesn't add up! Granted, the only Digimon that was known to have a healing factor like this was... Lucemon. Now I get it! Since Ophanimon has entered her falldown mode, she's now acquired a healing factor that makes her unstoppable! So it's not a matter of fatally wounding her... But rather destroying her completely. Until both that human and the Digimon are reduced to ashes._ " He said in his mind before charging up the rapier for another attack. Ophanimon looked at Leopardmon and said "Come on big boy... Show me what you've got! After all, didn't you say that you'd do that for little old me? Or was I just imagining that?" Leopardmon felt offended by Ophanimon's comment and then charged at her once again, with his Rapier at full power. "Alright then Ophanimon. Let's see you handle this attack!" He said as he ran forward.

Ophanimon then opened her arms up for his attack and allowed him to strike. " **ONE TRILLION SLASHES!** " He yelled as he started striking her with several attacks. However, all he was recieving from the Archangel was moans from the attacks itself. With every moan, Leopardmon grew angrier and angrier until finally, he unleashed his ultimate slash which, like Ophanimon's Javelin... Destroyed quite a bit of the forest. Leopardmon then stood back from his charred opponent and took a turn towards where he assumes Omnimon went. "I'm sure I can catch up to our leader, and report to him that I just killed Ophanimon and her human. Although that form she took on after threatening her lover did seem like quite a bit... But it only managed to kill one Digimon who was one level below her. I mean, what could this form possibly accomplish in the long run?" He chuckled a bit at the thought. But he then turned his attention towards Daisuke and said "Might as well take care of this human while I'm here. That would prevent Imperialdramon from ever coming back after all!" But before he could do the deed, he sensed a murderous vibe in the air. Something that would not be satisfied until he died a slow, painful death. "B-b-but... That's impossible! She should be dead! That was my most powerful move!" He then heard cackling that went slowly, but started to pick up once he turned to face Ophanimon... Who had once again healed from all her injuries. "Well big boy, you certainly had me there. I mean, first you stabbed me... And then you decide to stab me some more. You could have ordered me drink before you decide to just get down to it. But then again... I've had worse injuries before. So what will you do now big boy?" Leopardmon was about to ponder what to do next, but then he saw that his rapier was on fire. "What? When did this happen!?" Leopardmon asked Ophanimon.

"While you were stabbing me, I simply placed a hellfire spell on your rapier. So much for your confidence eh?" Ophanimon responded before summoning her scythe in her hand. Leopardmon dropped the the rapier into the snow which then caught on fire and evaporated. "Phew. What a relief..." Leopardmon said before the scythe blade appeared in front of his eyes. Unfortunately for him, he didn't have enough time to react as his eyes were gouged out. "AHHHHH! MY EYES! I can't see! What's going on! Why are my eyes burning!?" Ophanimon then sliced Leopardmon in half and he didn't know what was happening to him as he was being lifted off the ground from his burning body. Ophanimon was now gazing into Leopardmon's burning eyes and the whole time, was still smiling. "Just be grateful that your death will be one of the most satisfying kills I've gotten all throughout my time in this world." She said to him before throwing him up and slicing him in two. The fire caused immense pain to Leopardmon, so much so that he merely burned to ashes rather than disintigrating into data. And now, Ophanimon had gazed at her burning opponent with the most satisfied grin she sported today... Daisuke was starting to regain consciousness and saw Ophanimon stepping on the ashes of her opponent. "H-hikari...? Where am I?" Daisuke asked no one in particular as he was standing up. Ophanimon then looked at Daisuke who was looking back at her. She looked down at what she was doing and then, realized that Daisuke might have seen her torture her opponent. She was shuddering and felt horrified at what she had become. "Stay away from me!" She yelled to Daisuke before running off into the snow. Ophanimon then split into Hikari and Gatomon who had just awoken from being practically comatose the whole time. "Ugh... What happened?" She asked before inspecting the ashes and realized what had caused it. "Oh god! Not again!"

* * *

Daisuke looked at Gatomon with quite a bit of confusion regarding the scenario. "Gatomon, I was knocked out by some guy with a gun and- Oww!" Daisuke said before clutching his abdomen in pain. Gatomon had recomposed herself just to make sure she doesn't show too much pain in her voice. "Well... How should I put this...? You were kidnapped by Astamon and brought here as leverage to give the advantage to Leopardmon." Gatomon started and Daisuke interrupted asking "Wait! Leopardmon's here!?" Gatomon shook her head and directed Daisuke to the ashes in the snow. "Unfortunately Hikari overrided me and well... I'm not sure what happened next. All I can say is that, when she saw the affects of Ophanimon's hellfire on Digimon... She was scared. Scared of what she felt she became. And scared of what others, namely you would think upon seeing her do this." Daisuke blinked in surprise and started to walk where he assumed Hikari ran off to. "Wait Daisuke! You don't even know where she is!" Gatomon yelled to him as he kept on walking in the same path. "I don't care! Hikari needs me! And I'm gonna be there for her!" Daisuke yelled back before running towards where he saw the tracks leading. With Hikari, she was curled up behind a tree, trying to avoid the possibility of her boyfriend finding her. Tears had welled up in her eyes and they were falling freely. There were unpleasant thoughts in her head regarding Daisuke and Gatomon's thoughts. That only made Hikari curl up even further. She then heard footsteps and looked over at the cause. "What do you want Daisuke? You wanna break up with me?" Daisuke was confused by Hikari's question. "Hikari what're you-" Daisuke was saying but then, Hikari got up and started lightly punching his chest, despite his injury. "You saw what happened! I'm a monster! I made Gatomon turn into that psycho bitch and tortured that Knight! I know he probably deserved it. But he could've been redeemed! Just go and leave me! I'm already unappealing to you aren't I? So this should cement that."

Hikari then couldn't keep herself stable and just started crying, while clinging onto his shirt. Daisuke looked at Hikari with concern in his eyes. Hikari was on her knees while still gripping his shirt, waiting for Daisuke's response. Daisuke then got on his knees and said "Hikari, I don't what I did to cause that... But I believe in you. And you should too." Hikari was somewhat confused by what Daisuke had said and responded "But Daisuke, you didn't do anything wrong. I couldn't control myself, and I guess what I'm trying to say is that... If you hate me for it, then don't hesistate to say so-" She was then interrupted by Daisuke kissing her. At first, Hikari was taken by surprise by the kiss... But over time, she adjusted and accepted it. They then pressed their foreheads against one another and looked into each other's eyes. "Daisuke, you really mean that you-" Hikari was saying before Daisuke interrupted her again saying "I don't hate you at all Hikari... It was my fault that all of this happened. I just wandered off into the woods and I just happened to get attacked, wishing I could be there to support you in your fight." Hikari was happy to hear Daisuke's words and shook her head at him. "It's not your fault at all Daisuke! We couldn't have known this was gonna happen. After all, we were fighting the Royal Knights and the last thing on our minds wer- OH MY GOD YOU GOT SHOT!" Daisuke then looks back at his wound and says "Oh yeah... That's right." He then clutched his abdomen in pain. Hikari looks through her backpack for some bandages and medcine. "Daisuke, I'm gonna need you to get your shirt off asap!"

* * *

Daisuke was about to do as Hikari said... But then he saw that she was blushing after demanding that. "Hikari, what's wrong?" Daisuke asked with his shirt halfway off. Hikari then shakes her head and says "Okay, let's get you into the temple before we do this. Since your skin's gonna get cold from the air around here." Daisuke nods and walks with Hikari back towards the temple with Gatomon following not too far behind. After they jumped back into the hole, Hikari had Daisuke stand up with his shirt off. "Now I'm going to apply some disinfectant on the wound. So hold still." Hikari said and Daisuke nodded in response. Hikari then got a cotton swab and applied said disinfectant on the wound. Daisuke was cringing quite a lot at the prospect of a swab inside the wound. He closed his eyes so he wouldn't think about the whole scenario... But that still didn't subside the pain. Hikari then wrapped some bandages around Daisuke's abdomen and tied it together. "There! Now you should be good to go. But we should probably wait to see Leyte before confirming the wound itself." Hikari said to Daisuke satisfied of a job well done. Daisuke then bowed to her and responded "Thanks Kari! Gotta be honest though, I can't believe I was able to stand through all of that." Hikari then said "Me neither! But then again you weren't losing a lot of blood so that could be the case." They both laughed for a bit and then Hikari went up to Gatomon and said "Listen Gatomon... I'm sorry for taking control back there. It's just, I don't know what came over me. I saw Davis on the ground practically bleeding and I went ballistic. So... yeah." Gatomon sighed and responded "Kari. I'm not going to lecture you... But promise me that if we do transform... We work together, alright?" Gatomon had held her paw to Hikari who then took it and said "It's a promise!"

After a few minutes, Daisuke had put his shirt back on over his bandages. "Hey, Kari. Do you think that I'll end up with a scar after all of this?" He asked Hikari who pondered this and responded "Considering how deep the wound was... I think you might end up with a scar after all of this." Daisuke felt pretty depressed after hearing that and sat down near the wall of the temple. "If it makes you feel any better... I'd say that scar makes you look like a badass." Hikari said in an attempt to cheer up Daisuke. "Yeah well, you say that. But then other people might hear about it and say it makes me less attractive. Although being attractive wasn't an issue to begin with right?" Daisuke said to Hikari who nodded and sat down next to Daisuke. She started to cuddle up to him and practically fell asleep. However, before she could cherish the moment... Ken, Stingmon and V-Mon all came down to the temple and saw Daisuke. "Daisuke! We followed your Digivice all the way over here! Is everything alright!?" Ken said in a bit of a panicked state. Daisuke nodded and shook Hikari a little just to wake her up. "Aww... Is it already time to leave?" Hikari asked dissapointed in Ken's timing. Ken, giving a skeptical look responded "Yes Hikari. It's time to leave this place and find out how the others have been doing." Hikari then sighed and was about to evolve Gatomon into Angewomon, when Daisuke offered to have XV-Mon carry the three of them on his back. "Well, what do you say V-Mon? We'll Evolve you to XV-Mon and we'll all fly towards the unknown!" V-Mon nodded and Daisuke proceeded to slash an evolution card for V-Mon. XV-Mon, Stingmon and their Tamers flew back to Shinjuku hoping to get into contact with the rest of the Tamers. Unfortunately for them, they haven't finished their fights with the knights. So as it stands... They're the only ones who are victorious. "Okay this seems kind of out of nowhere... But how do you think Suzie's doing in her battle with Kentaurosmon?" Gatomon asked her Tamer.

* * *

Meanwhile...

Within Southern Japan, there lied a forest clearing. However, that clearing was not because of the natural environment... It was because Kentaurosmon had been cutting down trees just to get to Cherubimon, who had been deconstructing herself to avoid his attacks. "Damn you! Stand still and fight me Archangel!" The centaur knight yelled in a fit of rage. However, Cherubimon was growing quite bored by this whole fight since he did not know how to exhaust her. Inside the data sphere Suzie had pondered something that had bugged her. "Lopmon, do you think we even need that X-Antibody we got around here?" Suzie asked Lopmon who responded "Not really. After all of that training we did in this form, I doubt we'll even need to go full power on him." Suzie felt very dissapointed at that response. "Well darn. I was hoping we could at least use our full power on this guy, but now we gotta finish it." Kentaurosmon had then finally gotten a slice into Cherubimon... Only for it to mean absolutely nothing. Cherubimon had merely recomposed herself and flew into the air. "Look, I suggest you give up and leave us alright? Putting you down right now would be very shameful for a knight of your reputation wouldn't it? This whole time, you've been slicing at me and I guess I've proven to be too strong for you." Kentaurosmon then snapped "Prove it! Prove to me that you actually are much stronger than me! Unless you're just a coward who refuses to fight seriously!" Cherubimon then launched a lightning bolt that cut through Kentaurosmon's arm so fast that he hardly felt it. "What!?" He said in shock and then noticed the other bolts of lightning headed towards him. In his subconscious he thought to himself "I immediately regret my decision..." And then the bolts pierced through his body until there was nothing left but data. Cherubimon then decided to head back to Shinjuku to report her victory against the centaur knight.

 **名前：Leopardmon**  
 **場所：北海道北部**  
 **ステータス：灰に焼きます**

 **名前：Kentaurosmon**  
 **場所：南日本の森**  
 **ステータス：故人**


	8. Seven vs Two

The Following is a non-profit fanfiction. Digimon is owned by Toei Animation, Bandai and licensed by Saban Brands. Please support the official release, by buying the DVDs.

Digimon Tamers Crimson: Knights of Grim Episode 8: Two on Seven...

One month ago...

Takeru Takaishi was practicing with Patamon for the fight against the Royal Knights. However, unlike Hikari, Daisuke and Ken... He didn't receive a signal for an X-Antibody. "Alright Patamon, we're gonna try that technique again. Just make sure you know what you're doing okay?" Takeru said to Patamon who then nodded and responded "Ready when you are TK!" Takeru put the core drill in his Digivice so that he and Patamon become Seraphimon. Seraphimon charged forward towards the tree within the forest they were located in... Only to split straight into Takeru and MagnaAngemon... And instantly merge back together behind the tree. "Okay so how was that?" Takeru asked in the Data sphere only for Patamon to respond "Well... We've got the technique down. But, we're gonna need to try this again and again if we're to have a longer time span." Takeru pondered how this would work in his favor. "So Tk, you mind me asking where you even got this tactic in the first place?" Patamon questioned Takeru who had been working him up to this point without giving a straight answer.

"Well Patamon, ever since that Emir guy did what he called "Warp evolution"... I figured that'd I would give it a shot. Since it involves quick evolution without the need of a card, we'd have to work on our bond like Simon and Guilmon. If they can evolve without the need of a card, then why can't we? Am I right?" Patamon was surprisingly motivated by Takeru's little speech and responded "TK... Let's keep going." Takeru smiled at Patamon's statement and said "Say no more little guy! Let's keep going!" And they kept going at this whole warp evolution for nearly weeks on end. But Mrs. Takaishi was reassured by the fact that her son was with his Digimon and they were going to a place that he knows well.

* * *

Present day...

In the Digital World, Takeru and Patamon are currently in some conflict with Craniamon, who's dual sided spear knows no defeat. Though he has not challenged the other Royal Knights, he does find wisdom in following their tactics and studying their moves. But, what of fighting an Archangel teamed up with a human who's personality and combat skills may influence the outcome of the battle. Things can only turn out either for better or for worse. "Before we start our duel Archangel, I would like to know something... Tell me, why do you insist on proceeding with a human who seems about as resentful as the demon lords whom you barely managed to contain? Wouldn't his darkness overshadow your magnificent light?" Takeru was about to respond, but then Patamon responded "Light without Darkness is about as useful as gunpowder without fire."

Takeru was somewhat surprised by Patamon's response and how quickly he responded to the question. Craniamon was somewhat intrigued by Patamon's response. "Very well then, Archangel. How about you hit me with a penultimate technique and get this over with alright?" Takeru and Patamon were both suspicious with Craniamon's statement and went to whisper to each other. "Patamon, I think that he might have something that can no sell our attack." Takeru said to Patamon who then responded "Considering you have me marathon a bunch of anime on our downtime, I figured that too. So... Should we hold back on that?" Takeru nodded and they moved back to face Craniamon. "Alright buddy, we're gonna hit you with one of our best techniques! So you better be ready!" Craniamon then got into a pose where he had his arms crossed and his spear to the side. "Alright then, I'll allow as much distance and time necessary for this ability." Takeru and Patamon's faces intensified as Takeru inserted his core drill into his Digivice...

 **SPIRAL MATRIX EVOLUTION...**

 **Patamon Spiral Matrix Evolve to... Seraphimon!**

Seraphimon then flew up into the sky above where Craniamon stood and thought to put a small portion of his power into his next attack. "Alright then, this should be enough to hit this bastard and see what he's made of!" He charged some power into his fist and shouted " **Seven... HEAVENS!** " Before launching seven beams of light straight at Craniamon which combined into one powerful beam. Craniamon saw this and had barely any time to react to the beams before they collided with him. Seraphimon had kept his eyes on the explosion, waiting to see if that actually hit him or not. Once the smoke cleared, Seraphimon saw that not only was Craniamon alright... He also didn't seem to have any injuries on him whatsoever. "Well Archangel? Aren't you gonna hit me again!? Or are you just going to stand there and watch?" Craniamon asked, taunting Seraphimon who then floated back down to the Royal Knight. Before Craniamon could get out a word, Seraphimon had punched him... Only to have hit something other than his face.

"So, you already figured out my impenatrable defense huh? Nice work. This ability of mine allows me to be absolutely invulnerable to any attack." Seraphimon then decided to keep on hitting the barrier in front of him with regular punches and kicks. "Hahahahaha! Boy! I don't believe you heard me! But you must understand, that your attacks are Useless, Useless, USELES-" Craniamon was saying, before his barrier wore out and Seraphimon's fist was about to hit Craniamon. "Well how about that..." Craniamon thought to himself before taking a hit that sent him towards a boulder in the distance. The boulder cracked, and then shattered due to Craniamon's chrome digizoid. "Well now, I guess that now you've figured out my ability's weakness... I'll have to change my strategy up a notch!" He then summoned his spear and took up a stance that an average spearman would have.

Seraphimon then began to ponder about something a bit odd regarding Craniamon. "What's wrong boy? Aren't you going to try and hit me now? I'm no longer going to rely on my impenetrable defense. So what are you waiting for?" Craniamon questioned Seraphimon who continued to ponder until... "I have to ask: Why didn't you just shove me away from you the moment your shield broke? Didn't you realize how stubborn I was being?" Seraphimon asked confused at Craniamon's apparent lack of common sense. Craniamon sighed and responded "Throughout all of my battles in the Digital World, I've never lost a battle against any opponent who's ever challenged me. Also, the Royal Knights have never tried to face me in combat, so how could I ever know of defeat? You've figuratively scarred my face, and now I've decided to fight you with the amount of honor that one deserves. My power is all there in front of you, my inhibitors are off and now what you're seeing is my ultimate potential! So then, why don't you come at me with everything you've got Archangel!?"

He then stepped slightly closer to Seraphimon who then responded "Though I also have to ask, you're at a disadvantage considering my wings and you think you're gonna get a hit on me with that spear? Come on man! You've already lost!" Craniamon was offended by that statement and suddenly... He disappeared and reappeared on the side of Seraphimon with his spear poised to strike. Seraphimon saw this and barely avoided the spear which suddenly formed into a dual trident. "Watch your toungue." Craniamon said before kicking Seraphimon to the ground before he flew up into the air and launched another attack. " **Seven heavens!** " He said as his beams targetted Craniamon who deflected the attacks and continued to take up his previous stance with his new trident. Seraphimon somewhat lowered himself, though making sure not to touch the ground.

"Now do you see Seraphimon? I'm no one to be trifled with! My speed can take on just about any attack you can throw out! So how about you stop holding back Archangel!" Craniamon said, hoping to get Seraphimon to stop holding back against him. Seraphimon then finally touched down and responded "Is that your way of asking me to honor you?" Craniamon made a face that told him yes. "Very well then. I shall honor you in the same way you honor me. Just don't expect me to be fair." Seraphimon later said to Craniamon who smiled beneath his helmet. "Good, this is the way all fights should go. No holds barred, everything you have on you is on display! And both of us have an equal chance of winning!" Seraphimon sighed and responded "Let's just get this over with already!" He then charged at Craniamon with his with Excalibur blade out on his right wrist. Their blades clashed for quite a while and it started to form a crater in the center of their arena. Though from the intensity of their battle, the area began to gain more and more scars.

Seraphimon then flew over to the water nearby the battlefield and stayed there. "Alrighty then, let's see if you've got something that could hit me!" Craniamon then got into a crouching stance with his trident. "You are aware of the fact that there is more than one way to wield a spear right?" Seraphimon nodded and responded "I'm aware of the ability to throw a spear at an opponent. Though the problem is actually hitting your opponent with said spear. But I'm sure you have a method of hitting me with it huh?" Craniamon nodded and said "Well, this will be the first time I've ever used this technique since nobody's ever pushed me this far. But then again, with you being an Archangel... I shouldn't have been surprised by this outcome. So... I'll just punish you by sinking you in that water you're standing in!" Seraphimon then took a stance to prepare for said spear.

Craniamon then rushed forward, but then jumped back with immense power built up into the spear. " _I see, Claiomh Solais. The name given to his spear. With the amount of power he's packing within that weapon... I assume this area's gonna get nuked in a moment. Even if I move out of the way, the impact will still hit me. So the only method of defense... Is to take the attack head on_." Seraphimon then raised his arms in order to block the attack. " **CLAIOMH SOLAIS!** " Craniamon yelled before launching the trident at Seraphimon who then clamped his hands on the tip of the trident and tried to stand his ground as the trident was continuing to press forward into the water upon which he was floating above. But after a while the trident began to force Seraphimon back. Takeru felt himself giving in to the attack while Seraphimon was holding the attack.

"TK, we can't hold this much longer! Any ideas!?" Seraphimon asked his Tamer who only responded with a faint smile which gave Seraphimon all the reassurance that he needed. Seraphimon then screamed one last time before the trident had created an impact that did result in a large scale explosion that destroyed most of the ecosystem that was established within that section of the Digital World. The spear at first seemed to just be frozen in midair... Until it found it's host and came back to his hand. "Tch. And I thought that I'd get a good fight out of Seraphimon! He had no barrier over the attack nor any method to properly defend himself. Poor fool had to use his bare hands. But then again, the original Seraphimon wouldn't have put up as much of a fight compared to the current one. His human must have been the reason behind this intrigue. Shame I'll never know more about him-" He was then interrupted by the sight of MagnaAngemon instead of Seraphimon who appeared in front of him...

* * *

Craniamon seemed too shocked by this scenario to immediately finish off MagnaAngemon. The angel took advantage of Craniamon's surprise and summoned a Heaven's gate in front of the Royal Knight who just realized what was happening. MagnaAngemon moved away from Craniamon just to let the gate do it's thing. "So, you plan to seal me within this measly portal!? I cannot simply just die because you wanted to! I only die when I feel defeated! You will never-" Craniamon was then interrupted by Seraphimon who replaced MagnaAngemon who punched him closer to the portal and shouted " **SEVEN HEAVENS!** " Before firing seven beams which hurled him straight into the portal. Craniamon before the portal closed, looked back at Seraphimon and thought " _I-I should've known! The moment he said not to expect a fair fight... I should have guessed that he'd use a trick like this. Oh well... At least the fight was good enough so, I have no regrets in this world._ "

Seraphimon looked on at the heaven's gate and the portal faded away, along with the reciever of said attack. He then de-fused back into Takeru and Patamon. "Wow, now I see why that nimrod uses this technique so often... It's broken just like top tier fighters!" Takeru said before deciding to relax on a nearby rock. Patamon was noticably worn down and said "The only con about that technique is... That it really wears me down." Takeru then held Patamon in his arms quite protectively. He then began to stare at the destruction that the battle resulted in... And began to fear that the other battles might end up devastating both their world and the Digital World. Takeru felt like he might have been responsible for letting Craniamon destroy much of the landscape, just by underestimating his fighting skill. However, he was reassured by the fact that the area began to slowly rebuild itself. "Oh yeah... Thanks Wisemon." Takeru muttered before looking around for anything that could hurt Patamon.

However, what he didn't see coming was KingShoutmon landing nearby the Tamer/Digimon duo. Shoutmon rose to his feet about to continue his fight with Gankoomon. "Hey! How come you don't fight me mano a mano! Why do you gotta rely on that ghost aura for everything!?" KingShoutmon asked his opponent who responded "Oh no, I'm actually suppling this spirit with my own life energy. Therefore, you kill it, you kill me. Though one thing's for sure, I just found my second target today!" KingShoutmon was confused... Until he turned and saw Takeru with an unconscious Patamon backing away slowly. Taiki within his data sphere saw this and said "Shoutmon! We gotta finish this fight soon! If not-"

Shoutmon interrupted saying "I know already! The problem is that his fighting spirit is a bit uncooperative with me! So I think strategy's gonna have to go out the window right now!" Taiki felt a bit reluctant to agree with Shoutmon on this scenario since strategy has always been his go-to method. "Yeah, I guess we're gonna have to over power that spirit like you said Shoutmon. So how about we pour our energy into our fists?" KingShoutmon nodded before concentrating his energy into his fists and slowly approached Gankoomon. However, Gankoomon noticed some scratches starting to appear on his face. "I see... So he's gotten a little faster eh? How about we compare our rushes!?" Gankoomon thought to himself before manifesting his spirit into his fists as well. When the two were at arm's length of each other, they stopped their approaches and Takeru decided to get to a safe distance so he won't get caught in the cross fire. KingShoutmon and Gankoomon both took deep breaths simultaneously... And then clenched their fists for their final stand off. Once they exhaled... The fists went flying...

" **WATATATATATATATATATATATA!** " Cried KingShoutmon as he kept on punching at untold speeds whereas Gankoomon cried " **ORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORA!** " As he kept on punching at KingShoutmon. The two kept on clashing until they both went through one another. They were both visably worn out from their punches. At first it seemed that KingShoutmon was about to fall... Until Gankoomon started to fade along with his spirit. "So, I guess my rush was nowhere near your rush. And Shoutmon, if you're gonna be Digimon king... Please tell me that you'll be a great one." Gankoomon said as he began to fade from the world into nothing but data. KingShoutmon then de-fused back into Taiki and Shoutmon who were both equally worn out. Takeru went back to inspect the site just to make sure that the leader of Xros Heart was still alive and well.

Luckily for him, that was proven to be correct. Both General and Digimon were alive and kicking. Though he did decide to wait until they regained consciousness before asking them anything else regarding the fight. Takeru decided to sit nearby the duo and said to himself "Well, at least there doesn't seem to be any threats coming around here. So might as well camp out here while we get some rest." Takeru felt himself about to fall asleep and he did just that. Unfortunately, there were at least six more combatants within the Digital World along with them. Three on their side, and three more knights. Who knows how these battles will turn out? What will result in all of these conflicts within the same world?

 **名前：Craniamon**  
 **場所：デジタルワールドマウンテンエリア**  
 **ステータス：天国の門に封印されました**

 **名前：Gankoomon**  
 **場所：デジタルワールドマウンテンエリア**  
 **ステータス：故人**


	9. Tag Team Duel!

The Following is a non-profit Fanfiction. Digimon is owned by Toei Animation, Bandai, Akiyoshi Hongo and licensed by Saban Brands. Please support the official release, by buying the DVDs.

Digimon Tamers Crimson: Knights of Grim Episode 9: Tag Team Duel! Tamers versus Knights!

A little later, Taiki had awoken from his fight against Gankoomon. Although, Shoutmon has yet to awaken as well as Patamon, whom Taiki noticed along with Takeru was there with him. "You finally woke up?" Takeru asked Taiki who nodded in response and said "Sorry about all of this. It's just that I'm still getting used to being merged with Shoutmon. At least I know some fighting moves along with Shoutmon." Takeru was somewhat curious about this and asked "When did you take up Martial Arts?" Taiki then looked down and responded "It was at least a few years ago, before I got sucked into the Digital World with Kiriha. I took up just about anything you can think of, Basketball, Baseball, Kendo and hell! Even Martial Arts. But that was because I wanted to be there for anyone who needed help."

Takeru then looks up and says "Sounds like our fearless leader. Except, he's got a bit of a stubborn side to him that makes it hard for him to learn the lesson that he's not alone. You on the other hand, seem to already know that." Taiki then asks "But doesn't he have people like you as friends? I mean, you guys did seem like a perfect team. Always having each other's backs and whatnot." Takeru seems a bit amused and responds "I used to hate the guy. I always thought that he was no good American, who had the best luck among all of us. But now I see that, he didn't have the best luck. He forgave me despite my intentions of killing him when Daemon got his hands on me and Patamon. So, I'm just doing my best for the good of the team... Even though I feel like a butt monkey while doing so."

Taiki then responded "Well, that must be interesting that you guys are friends nowadays..." Takeru nods in agreement. Shoutmon had awoken nearby Taiki and said "Oh man... How long was I asleep?" Taiki and Takeru were drawing a blank since they were both in the Digital World and had no idea how the time worked around there. Shoutmon sighed and asked "Alright fine, how'd your fight go with Craniamon TK?" Takeru smiled and answered "We didn't even need an X-Antibody for our fight. All we needed was skill, and a clear cut strategy and bam! He's dead." Shoutmon then said "Oh... Well we don't have an X-Antibody so... We're even I guess?" Takeru shrugged and answered "Pretty much." After a while, Takeru then thought of something. "Hey, Taiki! Why don't we go see where the others in the Digital World are!?" Takeru asked Taiki who thought about this and said "Alright! If the others are in the Digital World, we should have no problem tracking them down!"

They then got up, with Takeru carrying Patamon and headed towards the location where their friends are at. However, over the course of their little journey... Nothing has come up. Takeru was falling behind Taiki, who had much more experience in the Digital World than Takeru did. Patamon was slowly starting to stir from his sleep and saw that his Tamer was carrying him. "T-T-TK? Where are we?" Patamon asked Takeru who answered "We're still in the Digital World buddy. As soon as you regain your strength, we'll summon up a heaven's gate and take everyone home." Patamon yawned and responded "Oh... Well in that case, can I sleep on your head?" Takeru stopped a moment to put Patamon on his head. "That better for ya buddy?" Patamon then starts to fall asleep... While somehow still clinging onto Takeru's hat. Shoutmon looked at Patamon and said "Not a very dignified position for an Archangel to be in. But who am I to judge?" Taiki and Takeru both gave Shoutmon looks of disapproval. Suddenly, they saw what appeared to be a shockwave and headed towards it.

* * *

Meanwhile...

Henry and Terriermon landed nearby Dynasmon, who was starting to calm down from Henry's recent kick to his shin. Terriermon continued to glare at Dynasmon along with Henry. What surprised them more was that Sakuyamon made an appearance nearby them with Crusadermon. "Rika! Why are you here!?" Henry yelled in surprise. To which Rika responded "I would ask you the same thing... But I think these numbskulls are gonna answer that for us." Henry, Terriermon and Sakuyamon looked back at their opponents who were chuckling somewhat. "These pathetic humans asked us: Why did we bring them to the same place? Why not two separate locations?" Crusadermon started eyeing Henry for a bit and thought " _So, this stud's gonna be fighting Dynasmon eh? I think I could toy with him... He'd probably be a bit more suseptive than Gallantmon ever was._ " She then snapped out of her thoughts to strike a pose with Dynasmon.

They stood back to back with each other and pointed towards their opponents. "WE! ARE THE GREATEST TAG TEAM OF THE DIGTIAL WORLD!" Dynasmon yelled somewhat out of nowhere. Crusadermon then followed "Sired by a ruthless tyrant!" Sakuyamon and Henry looked at each other, hoping the other could provide the answer to this strangeness. "So as you can see, this. Is a tag team match. So, that means... All four of us participate in the same match." Dynasmon explained to their opponents and Crusadermon then added "But unlike a typical tag team match, we all fight at once. So it's more like a two versus two match." Henry was then analyzing what Crusadermon and Dynasmon were saying... And Terriermon figured it out instantly. "They're treating this like a wrestling match. And if that's the case, me and Henry are gonna RKO you out of nowhere!" Henry then face-palmed at Terriermon's statement and said "Let's just merge and get this over with." Terriermon then muttered "But I wanted to be the world's deadliest predator..."

 **SPIRAL MATRIX EVOLUTION...**

 **Terriermon Spiral Matrix Evolve to... MegaGargomon!**

MegaGargomon seemed to tower over every one of the Digimon in the vacinity. His size managed to impress the two Royal Knights in front of him. Dynasmon then flew up to MegaGargomon and said "Alright, you got bigger. What's the difference?" MegaGargomon seemed to have raised an eyebrow at Dynasmon before firing quite a lot of his ammunition at him. He then launched two of his missiles at Dynasmon, who turned out to not have a scratch on him. Sakuyamon saw this coming and said "Henry! He's gonna send it back at you! Watch out!" MegaGargomon heard this and once again fired at his own reflected ammuntion that Dynasmon provided. When the dust settled, they were poised to continue their ongoing conflict... Only for Dynasmon to say "You know what, this isn't gonna get us anywhere. So how about we settle this the old fashioned way." MegaGargomon was once again confused by what Dynasmon was saying, and responded "I could probably send you to next thursday with just one punch or kick. How are you gonna fight me?"

Dynasmon smirked underneath his helmet and said "Watch and learn little dog..." A dark aura started leaking out of him, and slowly enveloped him in makeshift armor. This armor took on the form of a large dragon with wings attached to his back. Dynasmon was in the direct center of the aura-like armor. "You see, this is what I have to contain every day of my life. This near uncontrollable aura. However, Yggdrasil has given me the ability to manipulate it's power to my own will. So, now I need not worry about this ability injuring me and what not. And you don't have to worry about punching me halfway across the Digital World. It's a win-win for both of us." MegaGargomon stared intently at his opponent and Henry did the same thing within the Data core. The two then took a fighting stance in order to ready themselves for this powerful opponent. "Good, that's what I want to see from someone who holds a grudge! Now show me the abilities your human has given you, little dog!" However, before the two could strike at one another, Crusadermon floated up towards MegaGargomon to examine him.

"Well, I can see that two stud muffins are gonna duke it out just for my amusement. I honestly can't choose which one's the better one. The human merged with the dog... Or my BFF... Two choices to choose from." MegaGargomon was feeling somewhat awkward about this... And then Dynasmon used his distraction to grab him and pin him to the ground. "Well, that's one way to get some action going..." Crusadermon said regarding her distraction tactic. She then turned towards Sakuyamon who seemed really angry at Crusadermon for ignoring her. "Ahem! We were supposed to be fighting here bitch!" Crusadermon laughed at the insult and responded "Oh right, I forgot about you. I challenged you and I feel terrible for forgetting such a laughably weak opponent such as you. I mean, you may have powerful magic capabilities... But do you have anything in terms of physical defense?"

Sakuyamon then felt even more anger towards her opponent. "Oh come on! You really think you're so special? Just because you can put up magical barriers and protect everyone from our attacks? Please! Our attacks are much more than those rookies you fought against months ago! We're the big leagues girl! And you don't want to even trifle with us!" Sakuyamon then summoned her spirits to attack Crusadermon... Who put up her shield to shrug them off. "Awwww... Was that really your best move? Because that was ten different flavors of pathetic." Crusadermon taunted Sakuyamon who then raised her staff and was about to create a barrier type explosion... Until Crusadermon came from behind and suplexed her into the ground. However, instead of Sakuyamon just lying on the ground, half of her body was literally in the ground. "Tch. Looks like you need some help getting out there..." Crusadermon said before pulling Sakuyamon out of the ground and noticed her staff was on the ground nearby her. "You're powerless without a weapon right little shaman?" Crusadermon once again started taunting Sakuyamon who then raised her hands at Crusadermon while firing her fox spirits at her.

Crusadermon didn't see that coming and felt some pain from the attack. Sakuyamon then dashed for her staff and fired twin blades at Crusadermon who also felt the impact and fell down. Sakuyamon later distanced herself from Crusadermon, just so that she could plan out her next move. She knew that taking on Crusdermon in close quarters combat would be suicide. Rika was panting from inside the data core and Sakuyamon asked "Are you alright Rika?" Rika then responded "Never mind me! How's your injuries!?" Sakuyamon examined herself and answered "I'm fine Rika. Crusadermon's a tough Digimon. Probably one of the strongest opponents we're ever going to face!" Rika later responded "I know that. But we've gotta get our act together before she suplexes us again. Or even worse..." Sakuyamon shuddered at the mere thought of how much worse it can get with Crusadermon. "Alright Rika, any thoughts on what we should do?"

Sakuyamon asked her Tamer before poking her head out to see Crusadermon seeking her out. "I've got one idea... We should stick near medium range where our spells will be the most effective. But, the catch is we have to stay somewhat far away before she reaches us." Sakuyamon then stood up and raised her staff in the air. Crusadermon then saw the staff and said "There you are! Now die like the rest of your kind!" Sakuyamon then yelled " **Amethyst... MANDALA!** " Before striking down on the surface. Crusadermon was about to strike the barrier down... Until she saw that there were cherry blossoms jutting out of the barrier. "She set me up!" Crusadermon said to herself before the attack had repelled her. That sent her flying towards a rock in the distance. Sakuyamon then got up to look at Crusadermon who was still stuck in the rock. "Who knew that it'd do a number on you?" Sakuyamon commented on Crusadermon's current predicament.

* * *

MegaGargomon meanwhile, was pinned to the ground with Dynasmon stomping on his face. "So little dog, do you submit!? If not, then it's goodbye to you and your Tamer..." Dynasmon said to try and make MegaGargomon surrender, only for his legs to be grabbed and pried off of MegaGargomon's face. "So, you still got some willpower in ya doggy!" Dynasmon said before MegaGargomon threw him off to the distance. "Stop calling me a little dog! Either Terriermon, or MegaGargomon! Nothing else! Got it!" MegaGargomon yelled, feeling constantly offended by Dynasmon's lack of respect. MegaGargomon then got up and took up another fighting stance. "Well, you're certainly pissed off aren't you? Very well then, I'll show you a bit more of my power!" Dynasmon then charged straight at MegaGargomon, who then punched him in the face. He then charged at him again... Only for MegaGargomon to block both of his fists and flip kicked him in the face. Which disoriented the royal knight.

Dynasmon got angry at the mecha and said "Bastard! I thought you were supposed to be this projectile based Digimon! Not a martial arts based Digimon!" MegaGargomon meanwhile, was busy sticking to his stance and responded "Funny... I could have sworn that wyvern aura was supposed to be limited to a beam attack. But like you, I can change too. It was thanks to my big brother that I learned how to fight close range." Dynasmon then started to grow angry at his opponent and yelled "I killed your whole village! What family do you have left!?" He then charged at MegaGargomon again, only for the mecha to say "I wasn't referring to any of the villagers... I was referring to HENRY!" before punching Dynasmon again. However, unlike previous hits this one had additional impact from a blast fired from his hand. Dynasmon then felt even more disoriented and his vision was getting somewhat blurry. " _Damn! If this keeps up, I won't be able hold this form up for too long. I need to think of a way to beat this guy and fast!"_ Dynasmon thought to himself in a worried state of mind.

Henry, inside the data sphere had a straight face on the entire fight. He felt like giving it his all for his little brother's sake. MegaGargomon didn't say a thing to his brother, since he too was focused on the battle at hand. Dynasmon, then started charging a blast to destroy the dog mecha. "Well, I'll give you this much... I haven't had a decent fight like this since your friend/leader Gallantmon. Unfortunately, you don't have a countermeasure for this attack now do you!" Dynasmon said, daring MegaGargomon to take the impact. Henry, seeing the potential risk activated his ability which caused his whole body to glow. Dynasmon saw this and said "Really!? Your tactic for beating me is glowing like a flashlight! Come on! That's probably the stupidest idea I've seen from you! And now you die!" The mouth of the armor opened up to reveal... A beam that headed straight for MegaGargomon. " **Wyvern's BREATH!** " Dynasmon said as he was shooting the attack. MegaGargomon had his arms in a defensive stance to take the blast in full. At first, MegaGargomon wasn't really fazed by the attack... Until he noticed himself being pushed back by the beam.

Unbeknowst to Dynasmon, Henry's plan was to absorb the damage taken from the attack and add it to MegaGargomon's strength. The brighter MegaGargomon glew, the more powerful he became. After the attack, an explosion occured which then enveloped the area in smoke. Dynasmon, was visibly worn down and his armor had more noticeable cracks in it. Although, he at first thought that MegaGargomon was dead and he won. "In the end, you were nothing but talk! You saw that I killed your entire village? Well, now I've been proven right... Seeing as though you're dead right about now. Ah ha ha ha ha!" He then continued to laugh about his own victory... Until the smoke cleared and revealed that MegaGargomon was not only alright, but even more powerful than he was before. "INCONCIEVABLE! YOU'RE SUPPOSED TO BE DEAD! WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU!?" Dynasmon yelled in disbelief.

* * *

Crusadermon got down from the rocks and stood up on the ground. "I must say... I never expected a defensive mage to make a spell like that." Crusadermon said while praising her opponent... Only to see that she disappeared from view. "Where'd you go now little girl? I was just praising you. And now you have to leave my sight! How disrespectful!" She didn't notice that Sakuyamon had charged up an electricity filled kick that ended up taking Crusadermon by surprise. When Crusadermon regained her composure, Sakuyamon had charged at her and gave her a fire filled drop kick. "I see, you can put up a decent fight. It's just your physical attacks aren't as strong as your spells. So I guess you can say that we both counter each other in a way. But, I guess in a way... We're both holding back." Sakuyamon then jumped back and started to prepare another spell for Crusadermon. She was then surrounded by a large circle that suggested she was planning something.

While she was preparing the spell Sakuyamon then asked "Tell me, if you're a virus type... Then why side with Yggdrasil? Why not side with us?" Crusadermon felt oddly saddened by that question and responded "There are many things I could have done. I could've simply left the Royal Knights like Gallantmon did. Though he had his own reasons for that. I could've given you every little bit of information about Yggdrasil and wouldn't have cared if I died or not. Hell! I could've even killed some of these guys for you. But... The reason why I stayed is, that deep down each of those knights that your friends have killed off. Are my friends. They are the reason I stayed. I'm nothing more than a pawn to Omnimon's little scheme to overthrow Yggdrasil. He's using me to lure Yggdrasil away from him... Just so that he could continue to plot against him. Yggdrasil has changed my friends for the worst, and making them forget that we do genuinely care about one another."

Rika and Sakuyamon felt some sympathy for their opponent, though that sympathy couldn't be expressed to her... Due to the fact that, they have to kill her. Sakuyamon then started to spin her staff during this ritual and Crusadermon, is not doing anything to stop it. Despite the fact that she's literally right in front of her and wide open for an attack. Crusadermon then thought to herself " _I know that I can stop this... But, I've had enough of this. No more fighting for Yggdrasil. No more being Omnimon's pawn. And no more of Dynasmon. It took me this long to realize any feelings for you. Though that might be because of Gallantmon, who never once acknowledged my affection. Oh well, if I'm going out... I might as well go out in style!_ " Sakuyamon was just about finished with her spell and was getting ready to launch it. Crusadermon then turned her sheild into a fist like weapon and charged at Sakuyamon full speed. Sakuyamon then stuck her staff into the ground... And fired a purple laser beam from it.

At first it didn't seem like much, until Crusadermon made contact with it and it turned out to be much bigger than how it was when she fired it. Crusadermon felt herself being pushed back slowly and steadily. Eventually... She gave out and her arm was the first to be destroyed before being somewhat consumed by the beam. The resulting explosion caused a large cloud of smoke to form, thus making it unclear whether or not Sakuyamon ended her opponent's reign of terror. However, when the smoke cleared she saw that there were data particles suggesting that they had indeed killed Crusadermon and were victorious in their fight. Sakuyamon then raised her staff into the air, as though to declare victory from her battle. "Rika, we've done it. The Royal Knight has fallen before us." Rika felt a bit somber within her data core and responded "Yeah but... I felt like she let us win. Instead of just killing us, she let us destroy her with our most powerful spell."

Sakuyamon felt a little agreement with Rika, and then the spell started to take it's toll on her. Sakuyamon split into a worn out Renamon, with Rika holding onto her arm. "You okay Renamon!?" Rika asked somewhat concerned for her partner. "I"m fine Rika, it's just that spell. Even though we've practiced it numerous times... It still feels like I've lost almost all of my energy just performing it." Renamon answered. Rika felt somewhat exhausted as well, but not as much as her partner. So they decided to head towards where they assumed Henry and Dynasmon were and watch their fight finish. MegaGargomon meanwhile, was busy staring down his visably angered opponent who prepared to strike him down where he stood... "I'm MegaGargomon Emerald mode! And that power you let out, just gave me more than enough juice to finish you off!" MegaGargomon said to Dynasmon who responded "You're bluffing! There's no Digimon or human out there with that kind of power!" He then tried punching MegaGargomon who simply caught the attack and effortlessly broke Dynasmon's arm...

Which ended up breaking the actual Dynasmon's arm. He screamed at the pain he was experiencing. Later he tried his other arm, only to have MegaGargomon break that as well. He started panting and charged at him with a jump kick screaming "DAMN YOOOOOUUUUU!" While doing it... Only for the dog mecha to break his leg as well. Dynasmon was then down to one leg and was barely standing in front of his opponent. "You know, I don't need all of my appendages to beat you! I could just simply kick you with my leg and destroy you completely!" Dynasmon said, completely delirious due to his broken appendages. Henry started to feel a little sorry for him... Only to remember that he killed his little brother's entire family. MegaGargomon then grabbed Dynasmon's leg and tossed him into the air... Before opening up his chest to reveal a laser that was charged and ready to fire. " **Mega... Gargo... LASER!** " The two said in sync before firing the beam at Dynasmon... Who was then completely obliterated.

After the fight MegaGargomon split into Henry and Terriermon, who were both visably worn out. Henry stopped glowing and was about to fall over... Until Rika showed up and caught him. "Oh great, looks like I gotta take care of two sleepy heads. Right Renamon?" Renamon sitting nearby nodded in agreement to Rika's statement. She then carried Henry nearby where she had Renamon sitting and brought Terriermon along, since she didn't want Henry to feel too lonely. She then started to lay her head next to Henry... And then fall asleep next to the blue haired boy. All while Takeru and Taiki were watching. "If I didn't know any better... I'd say they were perfect for each other." Taiki said pointing out the fact that Rika's just sleeping with Henry. However, Takeru then says "If there's one thing about Rika that I know about for sure, it's the fact that, if you so much as tease her about this... Say goodbye to any chance of having kids. Cause those steel toed shoes aren't just for show."

Taiki felt a bit afraid by that statement, but Shoutmon didn't get it. "You guys are wimps. Digimon aren't afraid of that! I mean, sure there's some forms of breeding between two different Digimon... But that's a different story all together." Shoutmon said regarding Digimon's... Breeding habits. Takeru then went up to enlighten Shoutmon. "Shoutmon, humans are different. If we lose our family jewels... Then say goodbye to having kids for the rest of your life! Henry's lucky just because Rika probably really likes him or something! Don't start taunting her when she wakes up okay!?" Shoutmon sighed and responded "Fine! But you better have some kind of reward for me... Like Digi-bites... Or Mrs. Kudo's cooking... Or even that legendary treat known as chocolate." Shoutmon started to drool at the thought of chocolate and Takeru and co. sweat-dropped.

 **名前：Dynasmon**  
 **場所：デジタルワールドプレーンズ**  
 **ステータス：故人**

 **名前: Crusadermon**  
 **場所：デジタルワールドプレーンズ**  
 **ステータス：不明**

* * *

Meanwhile...

In a bustling city, it seemed that the Royal Knight Crusadermon had survived. Unfortunately for her, she was running low on data and slowly de-evolving. She was sitting within an alleyway where she reflected upon her life. Subjugating innocents, destroying various villages with her companions, specifically Dynasmon. And worst of all... Smiling in the face of the terror bestowed upon those people, whom she swore to protect. She looked at herself and saw her fading slowly. "Huh? I guess that I was spared after all... Oh well, even if I didn't escape I would have died at that shaman's hand. So now, here I am waiting to fade from existence!" Crusadermon said to herself as she began to realize that, she was free. Free from the Royal Knights, Yggdrasil and especially Omnimon.

Though she felt a tear begin to fall from her eye, as she also remembered that... She'd never see her friends again. The light in her vision began to fade away as she started to go unconscious. And she did, assuming that it was her time. But instead she was de-evolving into something quite small and inocuous. Now she would be somewhat invisible to those who were suspicious about the alleyway, and to those who might have been viewing from above. But little did she know, this didn't seem to be the hub area that she grew to associate herself with, when thinking about the Digital World cities. To the Digimon Tamers, Sakuyamon had killed Crusadermon, and that's how it would be to her and to Yggdrasil.


	10. Beelzemon's Revenge!

The Following is a non-profit Fanfiction. Digimon is owned by Toei Animation, Bandai, Akiyoshi Hongo and licensed by Saban Brands. Please support the official release, by buying the DVDs.

Digimon Tamers Crimson: Knights of Grim Episode 10: Beelzemon's Revenge! Battle in the skies!

Beelzemon and Examon had arrived in the Digital World, though now they are airborne rather than on the ground. Examon had first thought of taking on his old nemesis on the ground and using his lack of flight to his advantage. This time around however, his opponent had the ability to fly and likely practiced using this ability. So now, he can only hope that he's faster than the former demon lord. Beelzemon, seemed to have a plan in mind to defeat this behemoth of a Royal Knight. Though his real size is slightly bigger than Imperialdramon Fighter Mode, he's still the biggest out of all the Knights. Nia had sported a straight face against her foe. Though deep down, she was somewhat nervous since Examon was somewhat hell-bent on destroying the demon lord once and for all.

Beelzemon's three eyes were staring down the dragon, who seemed to be thinking of using his lance to destroy him once again. "Just like before Demon Lord... You're going to die here at my hands. However, this time I'll be taking your data and your Tamer's data as well! So I hope you've prayed to whatever you may worship, for I will not be so remorseful this time around!" Examon declared to Beelzemon who just fired a bullet from his right pistol, which slightly scratched Examon's face. "How about instead of talking, we get this fight over with! My old nemesis!" Examon then took a deep breath and tried striking Beelzemon wtih his laser lance... Only to miss and be greeted with more bullets to his back.

The former demon lord decided to get some distance away from Examon, just so he could come up with a plan to defeat him. However, he saw that his bullets didn't even pierce his back. "You fool! You really think your puny ammunition will do anything to me!? I am the largest member of the Royal Knights! And though I have taken a considerable number of blows in my day, I still continue to take every blow that comes my way and stop the attack dead in it's tracks!" Examon exclaimed as he charged up a beam meant to take down Beelzemon. " **PENDRAGON'S GLORY!** " He said as he fired the beam, targetting Beelzemon who had more than enough time to move out of the way. He tried aiming for Examon's wings, hoping to put him on the ground... But the wings curled up around Examon to reveal that, they too are quite durable.

So Beelzemon put his guns into their holsters, and thought to try and claw at Examon. "Beelzemon wait! I think that his head might be the most vulnerable part on his body! And if you go up to him, you'll get yourself killed!" Nia yelled in her data core just to stop her partner who then stopped his assault attempt just pull out his guns again. "Alright, but since he knows that we can damage his face, we should probably try waiting for an opportunity to get him from behind. Though I hope that he doesn't try getting too close to us, cause otherwise his lance is gonna pierce and destroy us!" Nia nodded in agreement to Beelzemon's suggestion and they continued to keep their distance from Examon. The Royal Knight then felt his face where the bullet grazed it... And realized that maybe he should be more careful with defending himself. He then saw two bullets that aimed straight for his head, unfortunately he had barely enough time to react and got his left eye shot. Examon clutched his eye and screamed in pain, and this caused him to go a little berserk.

* * *

Back on the surface, Henry and Rika woke up to explosions being seen in the sky. "Rika, you're awake!" Renamon said to Rika who then noticed that she was lying on Henry. Once the two realized their situation, they quickly scooted away from one another. "L-L-Let's pretend this didn't happen alright?" Rika asked Henry who was somewhat hesistant to respond to her since he wasn't sure how to feel about the whole thing. He blinked a few times, just to make sure it wasn't a dream and he then nodded in response to her. Takeru and Taiki went up to the two tamers and Takeru said "I see you two finally woke up." He then offered the two a hand which they both accepted... But not without Rika punching Takeru in the face just for spying on them. "You're lucky that we're friends TK. Otherwise it'd be a lot worse on you!" Takeru then rubbed his cheek in pain and Taiki was a bit weirded out by that incident.

Terriermon walked up to the four and asked "You mind telling me what's up with the explosions!?" Henry then put his finger and thumb under his chin to ponder what could be happening... Until he determined the likely possibility. "Well I'm guessing that's Beelzemon up there fighting that Examon creature!" Rika looked up at the clouds and she seemed to agree with Henry on that sentiment... Despite not seeing the two Mega Level Digimon. "So... We're gonna go up there and help right?" Taiki asked the group who all gave him a skeptical look. Taiki sighed and said "Worth a shot. But still, isn't there anything we can do to help Nia right now? Or are we just gonna be standing here and watching the whole fight!?" Rika then put a hand on Taiki's shoulders and said "It's not that we don't want to help her... It's just that we should put our faith in her before we decide that she's unable to beat him. Plus the fact that our Digimon are somewhat worn out by the fights earlier... So I don't think we're going to help any time soon."

Examon had looked at Beelzemon with a considerable amount of rage in his eye. And suddenly, a dark aura starting spewing out of him. His remaining eye started to glow red, while the rest of his body glew an unusual mix of black and purple. Beelzemon was quite concerned about this, since he himself went through this before killing his best friend Leomon. Nia too felt the same level of concern since she saw that same aura months ago, though this time it's not her friend that has it... But rather an enemy. "Beelzemon, I'm not sure how we're going to beat this guy now that this has happened but one thing's for sure.." Nia started and Beelzemon finished saying "Yeah, I know. He's going to be more liable to openings... But that means he's probably going to be a lot faster than he was beforehand." Examon then charges straight at Beelzemon with near blinding speed.

The Ex Demon Lord then started shooting at Examon... Only for his bullets to bounce off of his head like they were nothing. He then quickly got out of the way of the attack, while Examon decided to fly up higher. "It's almost like his speed is what's making him reflect the gunshots!" Beelzemon said out loud, realizing that Examon has practically garnered him a shield that protects him from quite a number of projectiles. "We need to wait for him to slow down before we even think of attacking him now!" Nia had said to Beelzemon who responded "Easier said than done, since he's not wearing himself out any time soon with all of his flying. That is until Examon had decided to fly towards his target once again. When Beelzemon tried avoiding him, he was grabbed by Examon's free hand. They both were headed towards that ground and Examon proceeded to slam Beelzemon into the rocky terrain. Examon then proceeded to drag Beelzemon across the ground and into a nearby rock.

* * *

Examon later flew back up into the air and roar defiantly into the sky. Takeru and co. saw this and were quite shocked to see that the Royal Knight might have bested Beelzemon. "Guys, we gotta help Beelzemon!" Taiki said, but both Takeru and Rika pulled Taiki down and restrained him. "If we get in the way, that's only going to be a burden for him. And besides, Beelzemon hasn't been beaten yet!" Rika said to Taiki who was a bit confused until Takeru explained "Look, we can't jump in right now unless Beelzemon loses this fight. Also consider this: Are we really in any condition to go back into battle after our fights had worn out our partners?" Taiki had looked back to Shoutmon who was still just a bit worn down from his fight with Gankoomon. Terriermon was barely awake, and Renamon seemed a bit too stoic to express her current stamina. "Fine! But if he dies because we didn't jump in, I'm calling you out!" Taiki said to both Takeru and Rika who shrugged in agreement.

Henry was looking at the fight as well and thought to himself "Yeah, and even if Terriermon gets back to full health I'm not sure if I can activate my ability. Hopefully I won't need to use this ability for this fight." Terriermon kept on rubbing his eyes and asked "Is it just me... Or is Examon glowing like Reapmon did months ago?" Henry, Rika and Takeru's eyes widened in realization, as though remembering that whole incident with Reapmon. "I don't get it. What's going on?" Taiki asked and Henry responded "Well, at first Impmon was corrupted by Yggdrasil's power and at times he'd get really angry and become Reapmon. Though thanks to Nia, he's no longer prone to that... But it looks like Examon might have the same thing." Taiki then looked at Examon and said "Maybe Yggdrasil must have placed a bit more of his power into him?" The others then looked at Examon who was still roaring.

* * *

Beelzemon felt anger boiling up in him, due to his current predicament. After pulling himself out of the rock, he looked at Examon who was ignoring him for now. "Okay, now I'm officially pissed!" Beelzemon and surprisingly, Nia said at the exact same time. Beelzemon then combined his two guns into a large sniper rifle. He aimed the gun at Examon and fired a bullet at Examon... Who didn't see the bullet that ended up grazing his skin and damaging his neck. "Hey! Remember me!? I'm your opponent! Got it punk! You don't get to roar in triumph until you've beaten me! So come on!" Beelzemon yelled at Examon who had just remembered Beelzemon not disintigrating and started to charge at the demon lord. "Yeah that's it big boy... Just a little closer now..." Beelzemon said aiming his shot to hit Examon's wings, seeing that the last shot damaged his neck. Examon then prepared to pierce Beelzemon with his laser spear... Only for Beelzemon to shoot straight at his wing, which then caused Examon to miss Beelzemon and have him fly at a lower altitude.

"So, you do posess a weapon that can pierce my skin Beelzemon... I'm impressed more than anything now." Examon said to Beelzemon, shocking him since he still had that aura around him. The aura then settled down and Examon had a red eye instead of his usual green. "So, now that I've calmed down from my rampage, would you like to go another round Demon lord?" Examon said to Beelzemon who separated his guns and flew up to meet him. "You're foolish. In order to even balance yourself in the air, you need to turn your rifle back into pistols... How pathetic. Lord Yggdrasil has given me something to compensate for my weakness of my head. A shield that can, when given enough momentum deflect most projectiles. Though now that you've made your ammunition much more powerful than before, I have to calm down before I'm forced to the ground. And since you now have aerial superiority... I've got no choice but to shoot you down!" He proceeded to charge his laser lance for another go.

Nia withinside the Data sphere had pondered a strategy for defeating Examon, and Beelzemon was standing by and waiting for a strategy. "Okay, here's the plan... If we're gonna cripple him further, we need to catch him by surprise. So, we need to get his other eye out before we shoot out the second wing alright?" Beelzemon nodded to Nia's suggestion and set his sights on Examon who was looking at him with suspicion. "Now then, my nemesis... Shall we continue our duel? Or are you going to keep staring at me like that?" Beelzemon asked taunting his opponent. Examon held his lance up high and said "Right then. Let's end our rivalry here demon lord!" He then charged at Beelzemon once again, which at first Beelzemon saw coming... Until Examon disappeared. Beelzemon's eyes widened and looked around for Examon. "PENDRAGON'S GLORY!" Beelzemon heard and didn't have enough time to see that the attack was coming from above and he was shot to the ground. After Beelzemon shot Examon to the ground, he took the time to set up his sniper rifle to shoot down Examon.

"Alright you bastard... Here's a little present from me, to you!" Examon seemed to be charging in so fast that Beelzemon could barely see him through the afterimages. He took the shot at Examon... Who then used his left hand to try and deflect it, only for the shot to go right through his hand... And out his elbow. Beelzemon then landed on the surface and went to take cover from the Royal Knight. Now he seemed to be somewhat worn down due to Examon's attack and was hoping to aim his next shot at his eye, since Examon needs his right arm to use his lance. " _Alright, he can't use his left arm to throw me around like a ragdoll anymore. So that means the next shot will cripple him, if he doesn't try to dodge it. Although, that speed is going to be a huge problem... Which means that, I need to make the next shot count or I'm never gonna kill this huge son of a bitch_!" Beelzemon thought to himself while separating his gun in two.

Examon meanwhile looked down at himself and realized that, not only will he have no choice but to be crippled should he defend again. But also the fact that, his durability can't withstand Beelzemon's sniper rounds. " _All I have is my lance, and now at least half of my body is crippled due to his bullets. He wasn't nearly as strong or smart in the past... It must be because of his human. That female must have extensive knowledge on how to fight someone like me... Well in that case, I'll just destroy him through this rock._ " Examon thought to himself before doing a straight on charge at the rock Beelzemon was hiding behind. The demon lord wasn't expecting this, and ended up with a hole in his chest. Nia in the data core felt this pain as well, and the shock that came with it. The rock then crumbled and Examon held up Beelzemon with his lance and said "You've been a commendable adversary... But I'm afraid now's the time when you die. **AVALON'S GATE!** "

Beelzemon remembered the pain that came with this attack. Although since Nia was within the data core, she too was feeling the full force of the impact. Beelzemon then proceeded to try and pull himself off of the lance and barely succeeded. Beelzemon however, seemed to be holding an open wound with his right hand and his iron gun in his left. "I see, so you used your past experience to escape my attack. Unfortunately for you, this makes you extremely vulnerable to my further attacks... So your escape was absolutely futile!" Beelzemon then used his left hand to trace an X in front of him... Which seemed to trigger something within him. "Now what's this? You think a little symbol will change anything!? Please! You can't hope to best me with- Oh my goddramon..." Examon was saying in arrogance, until he realized what was happening. " _Of course! Back when I stabbed him the first time... I gave him the X-Antibody!_ " He thought to himself as the realization dawned on him.

Beelzemon was undergoing a somewhat noticable change. His wings had changed from black, to blue and reddish and adding at least two smaller wings below his regular ones. His armored parts all became red, as well as his helmet and the additional barrels on his guns. "My name... is Beelzemon X! And now Examon, your time has come!" Beelzemon said and it seemed that his wound began to heal rather than fester. Examon had powered up and once again charged at Beelzemon who had fired a shot so fast, nobody but the demon lord himself saw it. Examon felt the shot impact his left wing and now he was falling face first into the ground. He tried to get up and face his opponent... Only for Beelzemon X to step on his back and point the gun at the back of his head. "Unfortunately, my nemesis... This is where our battle ends. Now fade into mere data!" Beelzemon said before destroying Examon's head.

The Royal Knight then exploded into data that Beelzemon decided not to absorb. "Back when you stabbed me, you had unintentially given me the X-Antibody when I was reborn. Now I shall use this power to do what you wanted me to do to begin with! And that, is to protect my friends and family!" Beelzemon said to himself in order to reinstate his resolve. He decided to change back into his regular form... Before wearing out and turning back into Nia and Impmon. Nia checked herself to make sure she didn't have a stab wound anymore. She sighed in relief and looked at her worn out partner. "Well, let's take a break Impmon... You deserve it after all." She then noticed Rika and co. on the rocks and went to rest with the remaining Tamers. Now with Examon destroyed, only Omnimon and Ulforceveedramon remained. However, Ulforceveedramon was elsewhere rather than with Yggdrasil's main forces. And Omnimon, was awaiting for his comrades to be triumphant... Or killed off. Nevertheless, each of the Tamers were triumphant in their duels...

名前： Examon  
場所：デジタルワールド・スカイズ  
ステータス：故人

* * *

Impmon could have sworn that he was having some kind of nightmare. But after he woke up, he saw that no he wasn't having a nightmare and that it's already night time in the Digital World. "Figures... The only time I end up with some sleep on me is when it's the morning. And not during the night. So... Did we all win?" Impmon says at first to himself and then to the others who nodded around him. "Oh goody, that means all that's left is for Simon to kick Omnimon's ass." He stated considering the possibility that Daisuke and co. defeated their batch of Royal Knights. Takeru then looked at Patamon and asked "So... you ready to Evolve into MagnaAngemon and get us out of here?" Patamon nodded now well rested and ready for anything. "You got it TK! Just say the word and we're good to go!" Takeru then slashed a blue card and Patamon evolved straight to MagnaAngemon, so that he could open a portal to the real world. "Heaven's Gate!" MagnaAngemon said before creating a portal and jumping right in. Takeru followed shortly, along with Taiki and Shoutmon.

"So I have to ask, do you think Suzie's alright Henry?" Terriermon asked his Tamer who thought about the answer and responded "Considering she has Lopmon with her, and she's an Archangel... I'm not gonna really worry about her fight after all of this." He and Terriermon then jumped into the portal as well. Rika and Renamon silently followed, while Nia held Impmon going into the portal. They ended up on the rooftops in Shinjuku. Once they got back, Impmon felt himself blush a little due to the fact that he's letting everyone see Nia holding him. Shoutmon looks at Impmon in this predicament and says "Awwwww. Little Impmon's a plushie toy now!" Teasing the small imp. Impmon glared at Shoutmon and said "You are a jerk... By every definition of the word! I hope I never have to fuse with you!" Shoutmon shrugs and says "Knowing how things are going... You might have to." Henry and co. then saw XV-Mon, Stingmon, Cherubimon and their Tamers flying towards them.

Daisuke and co. also saw the other Tamers and had their Digimon land nearby them. Afterwards, XV-Mon and Stingmon de-evolved back into V-Mon and Wormmon. Cherubimon de-fused back into Suzie and Lopmon. Gatomon on the other hand... Remained the same. The two respective groups talked about their fights with the Royal Knights... And Daisuke reluctantly showed the bandage underneath his shirt to the others, who were quite shocked that he ended up getting shot. "It was this Digimon named Astamon who after shooting me, kidnapped me and used me as a bargaining chip for Leopardmon to have Kari surrender her fight." Daisuke explained and Impmon felt his blood boil at the mention of that Digimon. "I know that bastard... But by the name Belphemon. Not his pre-evolved state. It seemed that that monster couldn't just stay dead. No, he had to come back as an assassin for hire. So tell me Davis, where is that son of a bitch hiding at?" Impmon said explaining what he knew of Astamon and asking where he was.

However, Hikari then answered "He's dead... I killed him." Gatomon shook her head and corrected her saying "No, we killed him. It was just a bad time for us both." Hikari looked down at Gatomon, who looked up at her with reassuring eyes. Ken meanwhile was still very concerned for his best friend Daisuke... But Wormmon was at the same time just as concerned for V-Mon who felt powerless to save Daisuke. "So Suzie, how was your fight with Kentaurosmon?" Henry asked Suzie who responded "It was over in just a few minutes. Just enough time to catch up Davis and the others. Is that power of yours making you feel weird Henry?" Henry looked at the mark that seemed to engrave itself onto every shirt he wore and answered "Not really, it's just whenever I use it... I just feel like I could take on the whole world." Suzie was somewhat reassured by Henry's statement and hugged her older brother, with Rika putting her hand on Henry's shoulder. Nia and Impmon looked to the distance and thought " _How's Simon handling Omnimon in all of this?_ "

* * *

Meanwhile...

In a rocky area far outside Tokyo, Gallantmon and Omnimon had reached their destination for their final confrontation. Though Omnimon seemed to have some... Condescending thoughts in mind. "So, this is where you chose for your final resting place. An area where there aren't any lifeforms to harm, and spacious enough for our duel. Somewhat cliche, but overall a good choice in locale." Omnimon said to Gallantmon who responded "I had tried to find a suitable arena in this world for our battle, and I guess this was gonna have to do... Since all the other locations were taken. Besides, this will give us some alone time to find out just what the hell is going on in all of this." Omnimon seemed to raise a hypothetical eyebrow in his helmet and said "Just what are you postering at Gallantmon? I mean seriously, don't you get it...? We're now mortal enemies. Once close comrades, now turned into bitter rivals. And this, is our final battle. Our ultimate fate, Our! Final Battle!"

Gallantmon then started to get angry at Omnimon and said "You've been building up our duel from the very beginning! Why in the hell would you just give up!? Surely you of all Digimon wouldn't just submit to his power! After all, you're just as strong as Imperialdramon! So why did you give in to Yggdrasil so damn easily!?" Omnimon sighed and responded "It was all part of the plan." Gallantmon, quite fed up with Omnimon's ambiguity made a quick slash that cut the ground nearby Omnimon who seemed to just stare at Gallantmon's face. "I've had it up to here with you! We've been through too much together, and you're just willing to throw it all away! Just to fight me!? Again, WHY!?" Omnimon then casually responded "It's because... I wanted you to destroy Yggdrasil." Gallantmon, and Simon's eyes widened. Gallantmon then said "What...?"

つづく


	11. Fated Battle! Gallantmon vs Omnimon!

The following is a non-profit Fanfiction. Digimon is owned by Toei Animation, Bandai, Akiyoshi Hongo and licensed by Saban Brands. Please support the official release, by buying the DVDs.

Digimon Tamers Crimson: Knights of Grim Episode 11: The Fated Duel! Gallantmon vs Omnimon!

Gallantmon stood there, shocked at what Omnimon had just said. The current leader of the Royal Knights sighed and said "I wanted you, out of all the Royal Knights to best Yggdrasil." Gallantmon shook his head and responded "I heard you the first time. But the question is this... Why? Why didn't you tell me before!? You could have said something! But no, you had to stab me in the chest, and kill Imperialdramon! Why couldn't you have said something!?" Omnimon seemed to blink at Gallantmon's rage. He looked down for a bit, and then back at Gallantmon. "You wish to know everything about my plan right? Very well... But, remember that you demanded an explanation. After we were branded by Yggdrasil, I felt his influence flowing through me. Giving me orders, much like killing Imperialdramon and subjugating the other Royal Knights. However, I could see something. Something that gave me an idea... An idea that would utterly crush Yggdrasil where he stood."

Gallantmon then raised an eyebrow in his helmet and asked "And that idea was...?" Omnimon then pointed his great sword at Gallantmon and said "Having you gain the power to overcome even the strongest of the Royal Knights! Even if you were strong enough to best Dynasmon without having to do much, your connection to the human world got me thinking about if this human of yours was a missing piece. So, I simply sent you straight to the human world just to regain your missing piece and here we are. I couldn't just convince you to try injuring yourself, or even letting me mortally wound you. It had to be a scenario that you were willing to charge in for. And I had no choice but to kill Imperialdramon, and order the Royal Knights to kill millions in the Digital World!"

Simon meanwhile, felt himself getting just as angry as his partner. He seemed to be losing his patience to Omnimon, who continued onward with his words. "I couldn't just simply find a way to give you a message either, since Yggdrasil had to be occupied on someone else. Someone whom he'd suspect above myself... And that was Crusadermon." Gallantmon felt himself balling his hands into fists... And he almost felt his fingers piercing his armor. "She was a part of the plan as well. It was going quite well, and Yggdrasil was none the wiser. Though after Vamdemon's death, I thought that this would be the perfect opportunity to test how strong you are. After all, you and your friends are the ones that Yggdrasil fears above all others... Though the one behind him is surprisingly calm and-" Gallantmon snapped and yelled "ENOUGH!"

Omnimon stopped speaking and Gallantmon then continued saying "I can see clearly now that, you're no longer the friend I once knew. Someone who used to put his comrades above all the others, and fought side by side during our war against Yggdrasil. Now all that matters to you, is gaining Yggdrasil's trust and pulling whatever string is necessary to trigger your plan into motion. You would throw any of my friends under a bus just to save your own hide! And meanwhile, Alphamon is probably rolling in his digi-egg at what you've become! He's probably thinking that you're a damn hypocrite for lying to your friends! And now you think I'm going to be your willing pawn!? You think that I'm going to be doing all this for you, the Digimon who betrayed me and Imperialdramon along with hurting innocents just to build me up!? No way in hell! I'm still going to put an end to you, but not because you wanted me to... But because I myself have resolved myself to putting an end to you, and your schemes!" Omnimon lowered his sword and responded "I should have expected this. I would have guessed that you'd be a bit more lineant to my plans... But I guess not."

Gallantmon then summoned Falchion and his shield in his hands. Simon from within the data core decided to get into a fighting stance. "Well, I'm afraid that's how reality works. Just because we were close friends, doesn't mean I'll let you walk all over me... All to accomplish your goals. So then, how about we just get this senseless fight over with!" Gallantmon said while maintaining said pose. Omnimon then decided to get into a fighting stance, that felt like a counter stance to Gallantmon's... "Very well then. You've waited long enough for our duel, and I shall deliver it to you. But understand this... When this business is done, which one of us will have fallen?" Omnimon asked Gallantmon who responded "That we'll find out."

* * *

[Cue Dragon Ball Z Burst Limit ost Fate]

The two had began to stare at each other, waiting... For some kind of cue to engage one another. Omnimon, who had revealed that up until this point was building up Gallantmon to take down Yggdrasil and had manipulated his comrades just to get that far. Perhaps he was heavily affected by Yggdrasil's power in assuming that, all that mattered was the plan. Gallantmon, who has been fighting for his entire life along with his Tamer Simon Ackerman... Had prepared for this conflict for over four years. What he had expected was for Omnimon to truly be loyal to Yggdrasil, only for him to be the puppetmaster behind Guilmon's travel to the human world, and his meeting with Simon. They both had a reason to fight one another, and they remained silent... Until a rock started to fall in the distance, and the two charged at one another. The Falchion had clashed with Omnimon's greatsword and the Ultra level prepared his Garuru canon to shoot Gallantmon in the face. Only for his shield to block Omnimon's attack. Gallantmon then proceeded to bash Omnimon's head with the shield and deliver a swift kick to Omnimon's torso.

The two knights then continued clashing with one another with their swords, and at times their slashes would scar the landscape. However, both knights then held their projectile weapons at one another. Gallantmon's shield and Omnimon's Garuru cannon, which both charged to full power and they said " **FINAL ELYSIUM!/SUPREME CANNON!** " Before firing their respective weapons at one another. All that ended up doing was creating a small crater in the ground and forcing the two away from each other... Gallantmon then made an X pattern with the Falchion and seemed to transform. "Oh... So, you're activating that power are you?" Omnimon asked and only got Gallantmon's silence in response. Gallantmon then changed quite a bit. His armor has gained numerous spikes on the shoulder pads, knee pads, boots, mask and helmet plume. His shield had lost the zero unit symbol, and was replaced by a blue sphere in the center with crystals jutting from the golden center. Falchion had gained a blue glow and Gallantmon's shades grew longer as well.

"I didn't think I'd have to use this power... But you've left me no choice Omnimon. Now I am Gallantmon X!" Gallantmon declared to Omnimon who then responded by drawing an X shape pattern himself. "Well then, it's only fair that I do the same!" Omnimon said to Gallantmon before transforming into Omnimon X. Who seemed to have spikes on the Wargreymon and MetalGarurumon heads... And his sword has gotten much wider. Gallantmon then charged at Omnimon with blinding speed which caught the Royal Knight off guard. Gallantmon then got in a slice at Omnimon who then got his sword out and said "Transcendant Sword!" Before striking at Gallantmon's blade which had interrupted a fire sword wave which incinerated parts of the rocks in the area. Omnimon then pointed the Garuru cannon at Gallantmon, who used his shield once again to disrupt Omnimon's aim... Before doing a drop kick on Omnimon.

The Ultra level Royal Knight seemed a bit surprised at Gallantmon's use of martial arts during their fight instead of just slashing at him like he used to. "His Tamer must have changed him... Not bad..." Omnimon thought to himself before he delivered a swift kick to Gallantmon's shield. This then prompted the two to clash using their legs, and their weapons. Gallantmon then threw his shades at Omnimon who seemed to be prepared for this attack. "I know this move of yours old friend! You'll never hit me with it!" Omnimon declared before using his arms to block the shades flying at him. This seemed to push him back a little, before the shades eventually broke... Only for Omnimon to see that Gallantmon was actually charging up his shield instead. " **FINAL... ELYSIUM!** " Gallantmon yelled before the laser shot from his shield and nearly overwhelmed Omnimon... Who crossed his arms in preparation for this attack. The beam then ended up with a large explosion in the aftermath. Gallantmon had then started to wear out.

* * *

[End Fate]

Gallantmon's shades had returned to him... But it seemed that his form was slowly losing power. Simon seemed to feel this fatigue as well and he and Gallantmon struggled to get up. Suddenly, Gallantmon was back to his normal self. Unfortunately, it seemed that Omnimon had survived the blast from Gallantmon. The Royal Knight then said "DAMMIT!" Before realizing that he was now outmatched by Omnimon. Omnimon had questioned why Gallantmon's X-Antibody had worn out before the fight was over. "This never happened before... Why is his Antibody suddenly gone?" Omnimon said to himself before he heard a voice in his head. "That is because the X-Antibody is only a temporary power up. It's mainly supposed to make you immune to the X-Virus... But if it's used for a long period of time, it will begin to slowly decay. Though in Gallantmon's case, he used too much power in an attempt to finish you off." Omnimon had recognized that voice as Yggdrasil, who knew of the X-Antibody's ability.

He then looked down at his arm and saw that his antibody was slowly fading away as well. "Alright then, I guess I'll have to end this with my ultimate technique." Omnimon said before stepping closer to Gallantmon who had begun to stand up... Only for Omnimon to drop the bottom mouth pieces to the heads and launched them at Gallantmon. They moved to the sides of the Royal Knight and seemed to exude electricity which restrained Gallantmon. "What... Is... This!?" Gallantmon asked Omnimon who responded "My end game..." Gallantmon's eyes widened and Omnimon made an infinity symbol with his arms... Before pulling them back and charging what appeared to be a powerful beam of energy. "Now Gallantmon, you'll get to feel what oblivion is like. And this time, there will be no human to save you. So prepare yourself for Oblivion..." Omnimon then pointed his arms directly at the spiral symbol on Gallantmon's chest and said " **Omega Beam...** "

The Omega Beam had struck Gallantmon so hard, that he was forced back and fell into a ravine. The blast itself left a sizable impact on Gallantmon's armor. There were cracks and dents all over, but surprsingly no holes on the body. Though his glasses had broken once again, along with his helmet which revealed his somewhat humanoid-like face. Simon in the data core felt himself recieving bruises and cuts on his body. For both Tamer and Digimon, they were visibly wounded with Simon's healing factor barely keeping the two alive. Omnimon's X-Antibody had given out, but his body was more than stable. "I had thought that he'd be the one to destroy Yggdrasil... But nonetheless. He fought to the bitter end. I shall wait for you to be reduced to data... Or for you to foolishly return to the surface." Omnimon said before sitting down nearby the ravine and waiting for his rival.

Meanwhile, Yggdrasil was quite relieved to hear that Omnimon had killed Gallantmon, and Simon. "Finally! Now all Omnimon has to do is destroy the rest of the Digimon Tamers, and then we'll be all set to take over the Digital World!" Yggdrasil declared in his arrogance. However, Grima saw through what Omnimon was thinking since he did not move from his spot. "I suggest you wait until the battle is truly over Yggdrasil... Before ordering your troop to destroy more of the Tamers." Grima said to advise Yggdrasil who responded "What do you mean!? Of course he's won! Just because he made a few decisions to go against me, doesn't mean I can't bend him to my will!" Grima then asked "Then tell me, how was Omnimon able to plan around you this whole time? Practically every time you've had some kind of plan, Omnimon would be about two steps ahead of you. And you assume that he'd still obey you?" Yggdrasil then held out his hand and said "I could simply influence him to obey me further! That way, he'd never hope to plan against me ever again! And as I was saying, Omnimon should go after the other Tamers and eliminate them! He's an Ultra level, so what hope could they have against him!?"

Grima then walked up to his loyal servant and said "You may have the ability to influence... But you forget who gave you that power. So keep in mind that I am the one giving orders... Understand!?" Yggdrasil then felt himself kneel before Grima and he responded "Yes My lord!" Grima then looked back onto his orb, upon which he's been monitering all of the fights and focused his attention on Omnimon who continued to sit and wait for Gallantmon. Grima then thought to himself "Yes Omnimon, I too am waiting for the boy to get back on his feet. For it's his determination that keeps him going is what I intend to use. If he gave up now, he'd never be able to make it to the final act. That is when we will have truly won our fight against this boy." Yggdrasil continued to watch the orb in sheer boredom, since he's been denied permission to order Omnimon to kill the other Tamers.

* * *

Back on the ground, Omnimon began to reflect on everything that's happened until now. "I have given orders to all of the knights... Massacared innocents... And betrayed my most trusted allies. UlforceVeedramon may have been in on it since the very beginning... But I very much doubt that he would be able to forgive me. Ever since Gallantmon had arrived in our secret base, I've sensed that he was the true hero needed to defeat Yggdrasil. Not any of us, or even lord Imperialdramon. There were times where we fought side by side, and he had trusted me with as much secrets as Imperialdramon. In the end... We became like brothers in arms. Unfortunately, Yggdrasil had to make us his slaves. And now we're forced to kill one another, just so he and his master wouldn't have to worry about anyone killing them. Though... I doubt the master is concerned about his downfall, since it always seemed like he had some plan in mind for destroying you... Whether or not you reunited with your missing half, was irrelevant in his eyes. I wanted you to become the hero who would save the Digital World from all of Yggdrasil's tyranny. But now I proved that I'm nothing but a failure, and for that I say..." Omnimon then says the last part out loud "I'm sorry Gallantmon."

* * *

In the ravine, Gallantmon tried standing himself up... To no avail. He kept on falling down, and it didn't seem like he was getting any closer to fighting Omnimon. Gallantmon ended up on his back and looking up to the sky. "Simon... What are we gonna do? We've nearly exhausted our spiral power. And we've lost the X-Antibody." Gallantmon said to Simon who responded "I know that buddy! You don't have to tell me the obvious! But still, I wish we had Crimson mode on us." As Simon said this Gallantmon raised his hand into the sky as though wishing he could fly. "If we had Crimson mode, we could decimate Omnimon no matter what! But as it stands, we barely have the strength needed to get up off our asses." Gallantmon said to himself, before resting his eyes. However, just then... A bright red light appeared before Simon's data core. "Is my master that willing to give up? Surely you can put up more of a fight." Simon opened his eyes and saw that the light was a voice he'd recognized. "Grani? Is that you?" Gallantmon and Simon asked and Grani responded "Yes, It's me master. Just because I've been absorbed into your data, doesn't mean I'm gone the minute you use me. Besides, it's like you said before... I am a part of you..." Simon then finished "And we are a part of you..." Grani then entered Simon's data core and it felt like he was being fully healed and ready to stand.

[Cue Digimon Adventure Tri Brave Heart Orchestral]

Omnimon had started to get impatient waiting for his former ally... Until a bright light had shone from the ravine. Yggdrasil and Grima had both seen that light from the crystal ball, with Yggdrasil panicking and Grima just as happy as Omnimon. Gallantmon had appeared in his familiar red armor, ten wings and star shades that he was in when he fought Vamdemon. However, instead of rage being filled in his heart... It was relief and determination. Omnimon had inspected this form and said "That red armor... I'm assuming that Grani has become with you right?" Gallantmon had then pointed his gungnir at Omnimon and said "Yes, thanks to his power I have become Gallantmon Crimson Mode! Now Omnimon, it's time that we close the curtain on our duel!" Omnimon had opened up his Garuru Cannon and pointed it at Gallantmon who had lunged at him and began charging. However, unlike the other times he fired a blast from the cannon... This took a bit longer.

This opened a huge window for Gallantmon to strike the cannon with his gungnir, and tear it off Omnimon's arm. He then brought out an enhanced Falchion and fought with Omnimon's transcendant sword. Although it seemed even at first, Omnimon's sword had missed a stab and Gallantmon took the opportunity and sliced Omnimon's sword, and arm in half. Omnimon, without any method of opposing Gallantmon could only wait for his opponent to strike him. Gallantmon had merged Gungnir with Falchion and had pulled the sword back to prepare for a final strike against Omnimon. Gallantmon seemed to hesistate at first, probably thinking about the time when he and Omnimon were friends... But brought himself to fly foward and strike his opponent. " **FINAL... JUSTICE!** " Gallantmon yelled as his attack pierced right through Omnimon's chest plate, however the attack continued as Gallantmon pushed Omnimon into a nearby rock which split into multiple pieces with the exception of the large piece that Omnimon was stuck to.

* * *

[End Digimon Adventure Tri Brave Heart Ochestral]

Gallantmon had looked into Omnimon's eyes, which were surprisingly filled with regret. "I know I don't deserve any redemption from you old friend... But I want you to know, that I am truly sorry for starting this plan to begin with." Omnimon said in an attempt to apologize to Gallantmon. At first, the crimson knight didn't say anything... Until, he finally spoke up. "I heard you the first time. We may be close friends... But even I must make cruel decisions based on what my friend has done to me." Omnimon nodded weakly and responded "Indeed. I had to save imperialdramon from Yggdrasil's power. And the only way to do that..." Gallantmon finished "Was to kill him. I'm familiar with the double meaning behind saving a corrupted friend. Either rescue and redeem him... Or kill him before he ends up worse than before." Gallantmon had removed the sword from Omnimon's chest, and the Royal Knight had slowly fallen to the ground.

"Just promise me one thing Gallantmon... Keep on fighting. Yggdrasil has a master, the one who made him the way he is. The one who had tried to create the X-Virus..." Omnimon said before fading into nothing but data. Gallantmon looked up to where the data was going and Simon asked "So I gotta ask... Why does everything Digimon related die in such a beautiful fashion...?" Gallantmon then responded "I'm not sure... Maybe it's the data. But then again, it could be something else entirely. But I will say this... He may have caused us suffering, but if it weren't for Omnimon... We'd have never met." Simon nodded, silently agreeing with his partner. Gallantmon had started walking towards the sunlight... Only for him to feel quite weak and de-fusing back into Simon and Guilmon, before falling unconscious. As Omnimon's data faded, the Garuru cannon seemed to be regressing rather than dissolving. It turned into what appeared to be... Digi-egg of some sort.

 **名前：Omnimon**  
 **場所：ロック地形**  
 **ステータス：故人**

* * *

Meanwhile, on a nearby cliff...

It seemed as though the boy that some knew as Shinta, but to his Digimon is known as Takato... Had seen the entire fight unfold. His partner Guilmon, who was yellow instead of Red... Was somewhat enthusiastic that Gallantmon had triumphed over Omnimon. "Hey Takato! They won! Just like you said they would!" Guilmon said to Takato who responded "Of course they did. There's always some way for them to win... Despite everything they've been through. So it's no surprise that they were supposed to win this fight. There hasn't been a fight that they've lost yet..." Guilmon then looks at Takato and asked "But how are you even going to try and fight him? I mean, you just said that we can't hope to beat him."

His Tamer then answered "We're going to seek out the one man who has a chance of beating him... But we'll have to wait until he comes to Japan." Guilmon at first was confused by who Takato was referring to... Until he put two and two together. However, instead of taking the opportunity to end Simon while he was unconscious Takato decided to let him live for now and wait for the right opportunity. "Simon, from here on out... We're enemies. I must be willing to beat you down and then take your life, in order to accomplish anything. I'll let you go... But only because your death here will accomplish nothing. It has to be at the right time. Otherwise... It'll be all for nothing." Takato thought to himself before turning away from the fight and walking in the distance.

* * *

In Yggdrasil's tree...

Yggdrasil himself was having a fit that Grima was putting up with, since he got the results he desired. "WHY!? WHY MUST OMNIMON DO THIS TO ME IN DEATH!? NOW I HAVE NOTHING! NOTHING!" Yggdrasil was yelling during his fit. Grima went up to Yggdrasil and said "That's enough of your fit Yggdrasil. Besides, now that the boy is still alive we can move on to the next phase of my plan." Yggdrasil had taken deep breaths in order to calm himself and listened to what Yggdrasil had to say. "Now then, all we need to do is use Simon to our advantage... And then, once he's alone... The plan can go off without a hitch. And we'll have finally done the impossible... Destroying the world..." Yggdrasil at first seemed a bit puzzled by Grima's proposition and asked "My lord, I thought that you needed to conquer the world just to rule it. You never said anything about destroying the world. So why do this...?"

Grima then responded "It's simple Yggdrasil... I wish to put an end to this cycle that me and Simon are involved in. And in this recent part... There was an anomaly. The anomaly being that boy whom I've tried subjugating... Only for him and his partner to defy until the very end. Of course, he discovered how to find me... And here he is, trying to get in the way! So now, there's had to be a change in plans instead of just doing the same thing over and over again!" Yggdrasil had pondered what Grima said and he finally responded "My lord... Your reasoning for destroying the world confuses me... But I'm still in on this. There's other worlds and universes to subjugate. There's no need to limit ourselves to just earth and the Digital World." Grima smirked and said "Good. Now then, prepare our subject for the evolution process." Yggdrasil nodded and put out a digi-egg in a patch of vines before wrapping said vines around the Digi-egg...

 **And so... The Royal Knights have all but been defeated. UlforceVeedramon waits with Bagramon's army before the impending invasion. What will the Digimon Tamers do to prepare for this? Find out next time, On Digimon Tamers Crimson: Knights of Grim!**


	12. The Aftermath of Battle

The following is a non-profit Fanfiction. Digimon is owned by Toei Animation, Bandai, Akiyoshi Hongo and licensed by Saban Brands. Please support the official release, by buying the DVDs...

Digimon Tamers Crimson: Knights of Grim Episode 12: The Aftermath of battle...

Simon and Guilmon woke up hours later, and looked around at the battlefield... "So Guilmon, next time we go up against an Ultra Level Digimon, or anyone just as powerful... Let's go with Crimson Mode right off the bat." Simon said to Guilmon who nodded in agreement. As they moved through the landscape, they came across something quite unusual. "Wait, that Garuru Cannon didn't disintigrate... It seems like it's de-evolved into an egg." Simon said to confirm what he had seen. Guilmon piped up and asked "Can we keep it?" Simon gave Guilmon a strange look and responded "No." Guilmon then felt somewhat disappointed by his Tamer's answer. Simon picked up the egg and started walking towards where he hoped would be the right direction. Though he was then confronted by his friends with their Digimon. Simon had decided to give a recap to each of his friends on what happened, while they told him what happened during their fights.

"Honestly, I feel like your fights had quite a lot more scope than ours. And holy crap! You actually got shot Davis!" Simon said regarding their situations. Daisuke had shown Simon the bandages as proof of where he got shot in. "So what now fearless leader?" Takeru asked Simon who had pondered their next course of action. He then responded "Well first off, we get medical attention from Leyte and Dayako. Then we'll discuss on what to do with Bagramon." Taiki raised a hand and said "Well, you told us that we were gonna handle Bagramon in America... And in this city called Eastopolis?" Simon nodded and answered "Yes Taiki, you're going there to lure Bagramon to fight against you and that pest over there. Though considering we've beaten all but UlforceVeedramon... We can only assume that, either he's Yggdrasil's only leftover..." Shoutmon then finished for Simon saying "Or, he's a part of Bagra's little army! So I guess we've got one more Royal Knight to deal with after all!"

Ken had started to ponder something as well. "But wait, if Bagramon was supposed to invade a little bit after the Royal Knights... Then shouldn't we be worried?" Ken asked the group and Henry responded "Well, if Bagramon's smart he's likely going to wait a month or so just to get a portal big enough for him and his army. So, he'll have to put off his invasion a little while longer. So meanwhile, we can get some rest and prepare Xros Heart for their trip to America." Ken had nodded in agreement to Henry's suggestion, since he seemed to be right most of the time. Renamon seemed to look at Guilmon with concern since he had to kill a close friend of his. She tried to approach him, but decided against it for now since her Tamer was at the moment her top concern. Taiki and Takeru seemed to feel like they were badasses... Only to remember that Rika is likely still keeping an eye on them.

Meanwhile Nia was eyeing the Digi-egg Simon was holding and assumed that that was what's left of Omnimon. Takeru had approached Simon with a pair of sunglasses on him and said "Deal with it. We didn't need any X-Antibody for the Royal Knight I fought... And neither did Taiki. So yeah, suck it!" Simon sighed and responded "Really? You're gonna rub that in my face? I gotta wonder how much that pest's influence is on you." Takeru then took off the sunglasses and said "Yeah well, my excuse is that Patamon's a very powerful Digimon. But then again, you were fighting Omnimon so... Fair's fair I guess." Simon then shook Takeru's hand and responded "Fair's fair." They had then decided to evolve their Digimon into their champion and/or Ultimate levels and fly back to Shinjuku. Though Nia had to get a ride on Wargrowlmon with Simon since Reapmon can't fly. As soon as they touched down on the apartment's rooftop, the Digimon De-evolved back into their Rookie state, except for Gatomon and followed their Tamers to where Simon knew Leyte and Dayaka was. Each of the Tamers had a one-by-one medical checkup which went well and only required a few bandages... Except for Daisuke.

* * *

When Daisuke had taken off his shirt to show the bandage where his wound was, Leyte was a bit surprised... But at the same time, irritated. "So now it's not just Simon who gets riddled with holes, it's now the rest of you guys!" She says before unwrapping the bandages to see the exposed bullet hole. "Sit down boy. I'm gonna need to stitch this one up." Leyte commands Daisuke who reluctantly sat down in a chair... Since she needed to stitch both sides of the wound. Hikari sticks to Daisuke's side, just to give him something to grip in case he experiences severe pain. "Smart girlfriend you got there. Just grab her hand and make sure not to grip it too hard." Leyte says as she pulls out the sewing thread along with the needle. "Um... Ms. Leyte? I've never had stitchs done before... How painful is it?" Daisuke asks, concerned due to his lack of injuries outside of minor scrapes. "Well, it's quite simple really. I gotta stick this needle and thread through your skin... And sew the whole thing together. Luckily for you, it's a relatively small hole and little miss Hikari there disinfected and bandaged the whole thing up. Though, if you wanted... I could give you anesthetics while I patch things up."

Daisuke thinks about the offer and declines. "No thank you. Besides, the stitches aren't permanent right?" Daisuke asks and Leyte responds "No. But the scar the wound caused is permanent. It'll fade with time... But it's still gonna be there your whole life. So then, shall we begin?" Daisuke takes a deep breath and nods to confirm... While still holding onto Hikari's hand. She had begun on the left side and inserted the needle through the smallest part of the hole. However, Daisuke was clenching his eyes closed while tightening his grip on Hikari's hand. The pain got a little worse when the thread started to go through the skin. With each part of the stitching, Daisuke slowly started to adjust to the pain and only cringed slightly. Once the front side was done, he was told to face the other way, so she could work on the back side. The back side had seemed a little worse, since that was where the bullet impacted.

Unbeknowst to Hikari and Leyte, Daisuke's older sister Jun had decided to come down and see why Daisuke hasn't come home yet. "Hey Leyte, I know that Daisuke's probably got a cut or some bruises... But are you sure that you.. Need... him... Here?" Jun was asking upon walking in... And then she saw Daisuke getting his bullet wound stitched. To say Jun's eyes widened would be an understatement. Daisuke was worried about Jun's reaction to his wound, only to see her tearing up. Daisuke got off of the chair to greet Jun after his stitching was done. "Jun, I didn't know you were coming to visit... I'm sorry that-" Daisuke was saying before Jun gave him a bear hug and yelled "IDIOT! IF THIS WAS TO GET MY ATTENTION... THEN YOU DAMN WELL SUCCEEDED!" Hikari was quite shocked seeing Jun this shaken up because of Daisuke... But to Daisuke, it was just like how she reacted to her parent's death. "I know you have a duty to your friends... And V-Mon... But please be more careful for me alright! I know I can't stop you from fighting... And that's the worst part! Not being able to prevent this!" Jun was ranting due to knowing that Daisuke will go out to fight despite what she says.

Daisuke returned the hug and responded "Jun... I'm sorry that this just happened. And I know how painful it must be for you at home... But you know I wouldn't put myself in danger unless I had to." She continued to cry as Daisuke rubbed her back just to cheer her up. After a while, she calmed herself down and looked at Leyte before asking "How long until the stitches come out?" Leyte pondered this and responded "Well, it doesn't take long for the wound to truly close up. And I have done stitching on Simon... So I'd say a couple weeks and then he'll be alright to take the stitches out." Jun bowed in respect and said "Thank you Leyte... For helping my little brother. And thank you Kari, for caring about him..." Daisuke then put his shirt back on and walked back home with her sister. Hikari then returned back to her apartment with a smile on her face. When she got home, Gatomon was using a laser pointer to once again play with Miko... While Agumon got pretty angry.

* * *

"Dammit! How come I didn't get to go there and fight! You guys had duels with the Royal Knights, and here I am trying to keep Taichi on schedule with his studies!" Agumon complained to Gatomon who was still absent mindedly playing with Miko. "Keep complaining like that and you'll never go to America." Gatomon responded before going back to her business. Agumon crossed his arms and pouted. Meanwhile, Taichi is still busy with his studies that his mother has given him. "Oh Hikari, you came back!" Taichi said noticing his little sister's prescience. "Yeah well, a lot of things happened that... I'd rather not go into too much detail, but one thing's for sure: We won't have to worry about those Royal Knights anymore!" Hikari responded as she sat on the couch parallel to Taichi and began to help him with his studies. "Well to you it's back to the status quo right?" Agumon asked Gatomon who stopped with the laser pointer and responded "Why yes, it is back to the status quo. Although, me and Kari are gonna work on some things as we go along."

Agumon then felt a bit of confidence build in himself and declared "Well, when I go to America... I'm going to get a fight that you wish you could get! And I'm gonna get so strong that not even Gallantmon can best me! And then we'll prove to that "Fearless Leader" that he's not the strongest out there!" Gatomon then walked up to Miko and while petting her responded "Yeah, have fun with that." Agumon then felt his confidence wane from lack of faith from his allies. Yuko Kamiya meanwhile, was starting to get a bit concerned with the rate on Taichi's studies and wonders if, letting him go to America in July is a good idea. She then thought to herself "Maybe, but at least his friends will have a place to study in this "Eastopolis" that Simon mentioned." After a bit of pondering, Yuko continued to look through her magazine that she had recently gotten in the mail. To her, the fact that both her children are Tamers and are part of a team that saved the world both excites her... And worries her at the same time. But then again, a parent would worry about their child just as much as older siblings worry about their younger siblings.

* * *

Meanwhile With Takeru...

Takeru had just gotten home with Patamon, though instead of his mother being somewhat worried as per usual... She's currently on the phone with someone. "No, it's not any trouble. You don't have to stay in an apartment for a week. Alright, you're not imposing here!" Natsuko was talking on the phone with someone, whom Takeru was confused about and he asked "Mom, who are you talking to?" She then handed the phone to Takeru saying "Oh it's someone special TK..." Takeru then picked up the phone and said "Hello..." The person on the other side responded "How's my little brother been?" Takeru then felt really happy and said "Oh hey Yamato! How have things been!?" Yamato on the other side responded "Things have been going well. Me and my band are gonna be doing a tour around Tokyo and for a week, Shinjuku's gonna be our first stop." Takeru then asked "So, you're actually gonna come over and hang out?" Yamato responded "Yeah sure. Besides, mom said that it's fine. It's just that, the rest of the band is gonna be staying in an apartment building while I thought it'd be nice to catch up with you. Now I gotta ask how have things been with you?"

Takeru then thought about how to respond and said "Well, things have been a bit hectic with school and the finals and whatnot. But it's still a lot of fun. And I've actually made some new friends." Yamato then asked "Really, and does that have to do with that whole Digimon business?" Takeru felt a little nervous and said "So you know about that too?" Yamato responded "It was on TV, so how could I not notice this? And now I saw that Tai was on TV... So what's up with that?" Takeru sighed and responded "Look, everything you saw on TV... Unlike the internet was actually true. There are Digimon out there, I'm a Digimon Tamer and the guy in the trenchcoat is our fearless leader." Yamato seemed a bit surprised and responded "So, it's not Tai... Interesting. I'm gonna be here next monday, so you have that to look forward to alright?" Takeru once again sighed and answered "Yeah, I'll see you then Matt. Bye..." He hung up the phone and was still a bit excited that his older brother, who was living with his father... Is coming to Shinjuku for a week with his band.

* * *

Meanwhile...

Simon had put the egg he found from the Garuru cannon inside a glass case... Which he poked tiny holes in. That was just in case the Digimon inside the egg had decided to hatch in his home, and instead of hatching in the prescense of his would-be Tamer. "As of right now, your status is currently unknown little egg. So just sit tight and wait for me to get you a Tamer." Simon said to the egg, as though it could actually hear him talking to it. He then looked around for something to do just to pass the time, and felt like reading a book. Simon after a bit, fell asleep with the book on his face. Guilmon meanwhile was looking around the apartment for something to wake his Tamer up... Until his nose caught something strangely familiar in the air. He turned around to see a somewhat small white Dragon-like Digimon. It seemed to have a cape which obscured most of it's features... Except for the black stripes on it's snout. And it appeared to have a horn on the tip of it's snout.

Guilmon had opened the door to the balcony to see this Digimon who then said "It's been a long time, old friend..." Guilmon tilted his head and asked "I don't really know you, but I do recognize your scent. It belonged to the Royal Knight Jesmon." The Digimon nodded and answered "I was Jesmon back then... But now, I am Hackmon. I've come to this world to see if the rumors of your survival were true. For the longest time, I've been mere data in the Digital World and am now reborn in this small body. But now, I've come to see what's been going on with you Gallantmon." Guilmon sighed and responded "Well... I've been in this world for four human years now, and I've gotta say... It's much better than what I first thought of it. I first thought it was a hellish world where Digimon go only to die, but after meeting Simon and his friends... I've realized that, this world is something special and unique. Although, I haven't been in places other than Tokyo... I can tell that there's a lot to this world compared to our world. It's got all kinds of environments that, don't seem to go together but end up making a great combination."

Hackmon had listened to Guilmon's words intently and gazed upon the sunset. "Perhaps maybe I'll find my place in this world... Just as Gallantmon and Lord Imperialdramon have. But considering how things went in America... I don't think there's a Tamer for me." Hackmon thought to himself before turning his attention back to Guilmon. "I thank you for your words of inspiration Gallantmon... But I came here for something else. A warning that I must deliver to your Tamer." Hackmon said before approaching Simon's sleeping form. Hackmon gave a somewhat skeptical look at Guilmon, due to how carefree Simon seemed to be at the moment. "Simon, someone's here to see you!" Guilmon said to his Tamer who just woke up. "Geez Guilmon, you couldn't wait until night to get me up for patrol..." Simon responded upon waking up and was surprised that Guilmon just let in a random Digimon into his apartment. He immediately reached for his Digivice and analyzed the Digimon. "Hackmon, Data Type, Rookie Level. Attacks are: Fif Slash, Teen Ram, and Baby Flame." Simon said quoting his Digivice.

He was going to instinctively grab his blade... Only for Guilmon to shake his head and say "It's alright Simon... He's a friend." Simon then got up from the bed and asked "Alright, if you're one of Guilmon's friends then tell me, why are you here? Surely a Royal Knight like yourself has much better things to do..." Hackmon shook his head and answered "Yes, normally I'd be doing important things for the Digital World. However, I was killed long before Yggdrasil had even gotten his hands on me. Luckily, after hatching I managed to find out a lot of things regarding what happened to the Royal Knights. And I was appauled at what they'd become. They went from heroic figures working for peace... To nothing but cruel dictators that rule through fear. Surprisingly, Omnimon had noticed my prescence and he told me quite a number of things. Like what I came here to tell you." Simon then sat down and said "Okay, let's hear it... What's this new piece of intel that Omnimon gave you?" Hackmon took a deep breath and responded "Someone had been behind Yggdrasil this entire time."

Simon had raised an eyebrow to Hackmon and responded "Yeah, we already heard this bit of information from Omnimon himself. He didn't really hesistate to tell us his whole plan during our fight." Hackmon then felt a little bit saddened by that fact... But he found a way to save himself. "Yes but, I know who his master is... It's a being that appears to have immense power. A power that is capable of influencing many to follow him. However, he is truly the reason behind Yggdrasil's corruption and abilities of submission. He is known as the fell dragon... Grima." That had shocked both Simon and Guilmon. "But, how's that possible!? I mean, this Fell Dragon was meant to be dead... But then again, perhaps I thought he'd be around elsewhere... Rather than the man behind Yggdrasil." Simon said to Hackmon who then responded "I'm aware of that. He was meant to be dead for a long time... But something had triggered his revival. Something, extremely powerful. The only thing I am aware of is that, it had something to do with you boy... And that's why I wanted to give you this intel. What you do with this knowledge is entirely up to you. But, you must choose your path wisely. If you give in to the demands of Grima... He can and will manipulate you like some kind of puppet."

Simon later asked "But, how will I know when he is nearby? Or if he is planning something?" Hackmon then approached the balcony and jumped onto the railing. "You'll know by his overwhelming darkness. Each of the Royal Knights had Yggdrasil's seeds planted in them, but those seeds of subjugation... Came from Grima's ability to influence other people. The more followers he gains... The more powerful he becomes. And I fear that, with Yggdrasil losing the Royal Knights... He'll resort to drastic measures." And before Simon could ask anything else... He just converted himself into data and flew off into the distance. "Aw dammit. I wanted to know a bit more, but I guess he's a huge fan of the pronoun game."

* * *

Meanwhile...

The Tentomon that Simon had rescued earlier... Was searching around Shinjuku for people that either, want to be his Tamer... Or wish to learn the ways of Goddramon. Though, not as surprising is Tentomon's apparent lack of success. Either the response to him would be "Ew! There's a creepy bug near me!" Or "Goddra-who?" Or even "You're not even a good Digimon cosplayer kid... Try harder." And there have been instances where people have tried to read the book he carried, only for nobody to understand the text... Due to it being written entirely in Binary. It was then that Tentomon found himself in an alleyway, feeling quite depressed. He then said to himself "Oh... I should've known that humans don't understand binary. It was so stupid. Stupid! Stupid! STUPID!" He then threw the book over in the distance. He then looked to the sky, which was quite dark due to it being around night in Shinjuku. "Maybe I should just focus more on finding a Tamer and ignoring the whole Goddramon business... At least there, I'd have an actual chance of someone actually talking to me!" Tentomon continued ranting to himself. He was about to go find someone to talk to... Only for him to start hesitating due to the other people's reactions to him.

He then covered his face with his hands, and sat there. It seemed as though all hope was lost for poor Tentomon. However, he didn't notice that someone had actually taken his book... Until he looked over where he threw his book, which was now missing. "Oh no! My book's gone! Who could've taken it!? Who!?" Tentomon was saying while looking around frantically for the person who had taken the book. He kept on looking, until he saw a kid with short red hair in a blue high school uniform walking around with said book in his hands. "That human's gonna pay for stealing my book!" Tentomon said before flying towards the person... Only to realize that maybe he should stay above where people could see him. The student on the other hand, was looking intently at this book that he came across. "Prodigious! This whole book is written in binary! I guess it's about time someone thought to make a book out of this!" The student thought to himself as he kept on reading.

After a while of walking, the student had finally gotten home and into his room. He decided to put down the book he had acquired from the street and sit on his bed. "Well, today's certainly been an interesting one. First there's that whole wormhole incident, Taichi's still alive and well... And now, there's rumors going around about a giant ladybug. But one good thing was that book I got!" The student said to himself. "Koushiro! Dinner's ready!" A person from downstairs was calling to the student identified as Koushiro. "Okay mom! Be right there!" He yelled down before deciding to get up for dinner. As he walked out of the door, he was confronted by Tentomon who had sported an angry expression on his face. "How dare you steal the sacred book of Goddramon! **ELECTRO SHOCKER!** " Tentomon yelled before pushing Koushiro back into his room and shocking him from what can be seen. A little bit later, a bitter looking Koushiro and Tentomon exited the bedroom and Koushiro took his seat in the kitchen.

However, after that electric shock... Koushiro looked somewhat singed. "Oh! Koushiro what happened to you!?" His mother said in shock at Koushiro's predicament. "Would you believe me if I told you that ladybug did this?" Koushiro asked his mother who didn't really know how to respond. She seemed to have a light shade of brown hair, and wearing an apron over her collared shirt and work dress. She then saw the ladybug in question and said "How dare you hurt my son! Do you have anything to say for yourself!?" Tentomon looked at Koushiro's mother and responded "Hm? What do you mean by son? You mean that guy over there who stole my book!? He doesn't even know how to read it! After all, humans are incapable of reading binary." Before Koushiro's mother could respond, he came up to Tentomon and said "The book was titled the tale of Goddramon: The great dragon Digimon. And the first chapter was titled The legend begins... I don't know about you, but it was a pretty intriguing story if I say so myself." Tentomon seemed a bit baffled by Koushiro's apparent knowledge on the book's title and the name of the first chapter. "Wait... How did you know what it said?" Tentomon asked Koushiro who responded "Well, I've actually been able to study binary in middle school and, I've got the whole binary lettering memorized..."

Tentomon seemed to be unsure of what to say next... Until he hugged Koushiro and said "YES! YOU'RE THE ONE! YOU'RE MY PARTNER!" Koushiro seemed quite confused... But then, a Digivice with a dark purple ring in the center had appeared in his hand. He and his mother seemed to stare at the device in question. And all Koushiro could say was "Prodigious...!"

 **Now that Tentomon has found his partner, how will he and Koushiro get along? What will being a Tamer be like on his life? And what exactly is the next plan of action for Simon's group? Find out next time, on Digimon Tamers Crimson: Knights of Grim!**


	13. Brains vs Brawn

The following is a non-profit Fanfiction. Digimon is owned by Toei Animation, Bandai, Akiyoshi Hongo and licensed by Saban Brands. Please support the official release, by buying the DVDs...

Digimon Tamers Crimson: Knights of Grim Episode 13: Brains vs Brawn...

After a bit of a hectic dinner, Koushiro and Tentomon had decided to head up into his bedroom. There, Tentomon had continued reading the book about Goddramon... While Koushiro was doing research on the internet about Digimon. "So, Koushiro... I actually want to apologize for shocking you earlier, and probably ruining your school uniform." Tentomon said to Koushiro who responded "First of all, it's alright. Just don't ever do that again alright? Secondly, you can call me what all my friends call me..." Tentomon breathed a sigh of relief and expressed some confusion as to what Koushiro's nickname was. "It's Izzy. After my last name, Izumi." Tentomon was further confused by that nickname choice and said "So, it's after your last name? Huh. A bit strange for a human to be called by their last name... But that's fine Izzy." Koushiro giggled a little bit and found an interesting thing on Digimon.

"Hey Tentomon, even though Goddramon is of the four great dragons, he is still a Mega Level Digimon right?" Koushiro asked Tentomon who responded "Well, there are some Digimon that can exceed Mega Levels known as Ultra Level. And that's reserved for the most powerful... Like Omnimon, Imperialdramon and the four great dragons... Why do you ask?" Koushiro then turned around in his chair and answered "Well, Goddramon and the other great dragon digimon... Are just Mega Levels." Tentomon seemed a bit skeptical at Koushiro's statement... Until he came up to the computer and saw Goddramon's article on it, which said that he was classified as a mega level. "No, that's... Inconcievable... A lie! He's much more powerful than that! The book even tells me about it!" Koushiro then looked at the book and asked "Have you ever reached the end of the book?" Tentomon shook his head in response and Koushiro decided to open up to the last tale of the book...

The final tale of Goddramon had shown the betrayal of Meggidramon and the two dueling between each other. However, as the duel ended... Meggidramon had fled the battle while Goddramon had returned back into a Digi-egg. Tentomon had felt his faith in a now deceased deity... Crumble. "That... That doesn't make any sense... Goddramon... He's supposed to be the most powerful of all Digimon." Tentomon said upon reading the last passage. Koushiro then asked "You're an insect type Digimon... Yet you worship a dragon type Digimon... Why?" Tentomon then responded "Well, all I ever wanted in life... Was a sense of hope. I didn't really like fighting other Digimon to evolve into stronger forms. So, I figured... The moment I found that book, was the moment I found something to believe in. And all this time, I've tried to convince others to believe in Goddramon... To the point of annoying my close friend Biyomon about it. But now I can see what she meant by the book being stupid."

He then tossed the book across the room and curled up into a little ball. Koushiro felt quite sorry for Tentomon, especially since he practically deconstructed his faith in a deceased deity. He then hugged Tentomon and said "If from what I've looked at tells me anything... Then you can become an all powerful Digimon like Goddramon... Only for insect type Digimon. Although, since I'm a Digimon Tamer that should be pretty easy for you." Tentomon seemed to feel a little less sad, and responded "You really think I can?" Koushiro responds "Well, scientifically speaking anything is possible... As long as the person in question puts his mind to it... But then again, maybe I'm just saying some stupid thing I saw on TV." Tentomon then went to hug Koushiro again and said "Alright Izzy... From here on out, I'll believe in you!" Koushiro felt a bit overwhelmed by Tentomon's sudden change... But then learned to accept it. After a bit of surfing the Internet and looking up the Digimon Card game, Koushiro had looked at the clock and realized what time it is...

"Uh oh... It's almost my bed time! I better hurry up and get ready!" Koushiro said before he stepped out of the bedroom and headed for a nearby bathroom. "Izzy! Where are you going!? The bed is over here!" Tentomon yelled to his partner who responded "I gotta take a bath and get ready for bed Tentomon! Just wait outside for me!" He closed the door behind him and Tentomon pondered what he meant by a bath. "Oh, so a private hot spring huh? Alright... He probably needs it." Tentomon said when he put two and two together. Koushiro meanwhile, was submerged in the water and pondering something. " _I wonder if I should tell Tentomon about my parents... Nah, that can wait. But, what can I do about being a Digimon Tamer to a pacifist? From what I've heard, we're supposed to fight. And now, I got something else to spend my hard earned money on. Trading cards..._ " He then splashed some water onto his face as he continued to sit there. After he exited, he came out wearing a buttoned up pajama shirt and pajama pants.

When he entered the room, Tentomon seemed to grow a bit impatient. "Hey Izzy, can we go to a hot spring some day? Pleeeeeeaaassseee?" Tentomon asked Koushiro who thought about it and responded "Well, if we can find one that allows Digimon and find Taichi then sure why not?" Tentomon was about to go up and hug Koushiro again... Only to realize that maybe he should wait until tomorrow to express gratitude. "Well goodnight Izzy. I'll just be here in front of the bed." Tentomon said confirming his would be whereabouts. Koushiro then got underneath the covers and looked up to the ceiling. "I wonder what I should focus on... Worrying about school and work... Or finding Tai..." He said to himself before shrugging his shoulders and deciding to worry about the issue tomorrow. Outside the bedroom, Mrs. Izumi was peeking through the door to make sure that Tentomon didn't electrocute her son again... Before being reassured by the two of them sleeping. She headed back into the bedroom with her husband... Who came home a bit too late to see his son.

* * *

The Next day...

Koushiro had awakened to find that, Tentomon and everything else that happened last night... Was real. "Good morning Izzy!" Tentomon said to Koushiro who was a little surprised. He then got out of the bed and decided to get dressed for the day. After he got out of the bathroom with his school uniform on, Tentomon began to follow him around the house. When he went downstairs, Koushiro was greeted by both of his parents... Whom were somewhat surprised that Tentomon was still there with Koushiro. "Oh good morning Koushiro... And, um..." Mr. Izumi said to Koushiro and Tentomon introduced himself to him. "I'm Tentomon! Izzy's Digimon partner!" Mr. Izumi nodded and responded "Uh huh... Now honey, when did this happen, exactly?" Mrs. Izumi then responded "Well, it actually happened last night... And now he's probably going to be staying with us from now on..." At first, Mr. Izumi didn't really seem to take the news that, His son... Now has with him, a giant ladybug. And it's also one of the Digimon that's been on the news.

"Koushiro... You are aware what a Digimon is right?" Mr. Izumi asked Koushiro who responded "Of course I know what one is. Digimon are short for Digital Monsters. They're large packets of data that are given form based on Children's dreams. And the larger the packet of data, like Kilobytes, Megabytes, Gigabytes, etc. The bigger the monster. Though it seems that because they're based off of children's dreams... They seem to gravitate towards children like myself and many others. And dad, let's be reasonable here... Is this little rookie level capable of the destruction that most of the "evil" Digimon do?" Koushiro responded to his father who seemed a bit confused by his son's explanation. "I'm sorry. It's just that, now that you're one of those Digimon Tamers... I'm not sure about this whole fighting Digimon business." Mr. Izumi said expressing his concerns, and Mrs. Izumi also chimed in saying "I'm with your father on this one Koushiro... It's just that, now we're being forced to accept that you're probably going to endanger yourself."

Koushiro then walked around to get some bread from the cabinet, and put the bread into the toaster. He turned to his parents and said "Mom, Dad... I'm smart enough to stay away from the fighting. And besides, there's more than enough Tamers in Shinjuku so... Am I really gonna be a likely target?" They then pondered what Koushiro had asked them and Mrs. Izumi said "Alright, I'll trust that you'll keep yourself and Tentomon safe alright?" Koushiro nodded and Mr. Izumi chimed in saying "That goes for you too Tentomon! Keep my son safe if he does get into trouble okay?" Tentomon then saluted Mr. Izumi responded "Yes sir! I promise to keep Izzy safe and sound!" After a little bit of calming down, Koushiro got his toast out of the toaster and ate it. "Alright, I'm off to school!" Koushiro said grabbing his things and heading out the door. "Take care Koushiro!" Mrs. Izumi yelled to her son as he walked out. Tentomon then headed out the door just to keep an eye on Koushiro.

"Okay honey, do you think he knows?" Mr. Izumi asked his wife who responded "Well, I guess he might have his suspicions. But I'm sure he already knows about his parents." Mr. Izumi then looked down into his coffee mug and said "I thought that... Maybe it's wrong that we've kept this secret from him for too long. We should probably tell him since he's more than old enough to hear it." Mrs. Izumi walked behind him and responded "I think he might've been around when we were talking about it years ago... It's just, he's been very distant from us for years. Which had me thinking that he knew... So now, since he's not distancing himself from us anymore he should hear the truth about it all. And besides, at least he's been very successful as of late. What with him actually having a job and making quite a bit of money alongside you." Mr. Izumi seemed to be cheered up by his wife's statement and responded "Alright, we'll tell him tonight. I just hope that he takes the news well." Mrs. Izumi then patted him on the back and responded "I honestly hope so too..." She then looked out the window as though she herself, is worried about her son's reaction.

* * *

Meanwhile...

Koushiro had gone through the high school gates, and he told Tentomon to go wait for him outside of the school. Tentomon found himself in the trees of the school, watching as all the students walk by him. "So, this is what Izzy does most of the time. Go to this school, which from what I can tell is a learning facility... Go to his "Job" Which I still know nothing about. And then back home again. Seems like a routine I can get down with!" Tentomon said to himself. He had rested in the trees... Until he saw that there was a cat Digimon sitting nearby him. "Oh my! I didn't know this was your spot! I'll move out of the way for you!" Tentomon said to the cat Digimon, who responded "Relax. I'm not going to hurt you. I just want to know who you are and why you're here." Tentomon started to calm down a little and said "I'm Tentomon. Rookie level Insect type Digimon, and partner to Koushiro Izumi! Or Izzy as most of his friends seem to call him." The cat Digimon sighed in relief and responded "I'm Gatomon. And I'm partnered up with Hikari Kamiya, who also goes to this school. And if you want a real meeting place for all Digimon... Then follow me." Gatomon then proceeded to jump out of the tree and climbed up a building.

"Wait! I don't even know where we're going!" Tentomon said in a bit of a panic as he tried flying towards Gatomon... Who kept on leaping the buildings in the city. As he kept on following her, he felt like he was getting a bit tired... Only for her to stop at what appeared to be a small park area. "Welcome to Shinjuku park. Where many humans frequent, and more importantly... Where we spend our time." Gatomon said, introducing the location to Tentomon who seemed a bit mystified by the park. "Wow, so all of this is ours to do with what we want?" Tentomon asked... Until he saw Gatomon head into the tool shed nearby. He then walked into the shed and saw a group of Digimon hanging around. This group consisted of a bipedal fox, a small imp, and an oversized guinea pig with bat wing ears. "Wow... This is where the Digimon hang out when their Tamers are at school...?" Tentomon asked with some enthusiasm towards what things they could do together... except for fighting of course.

"Let me introduce this group. The fox is Renamon, That's Patamon over there, and last but not least Impmon." Gatomon said introducing everyone to Tentomon. "It's a pleasure to meet all of you. I'm Tentomon! And I'm partnered up with Koushiro Izumi!" Tentomon declared to the group who were a bit curious as to why Tentomon is so open about his Tamer's name. "Well considering that you're new here, how about we walk you through the ropes?" Impmon asked Tentomon who then nodded enthusiastically and said "Yes! I'd love to see what a group of Tamed Digimon do for fun!" Impmon then patted Tentomon on the back and said "Well then follow me!" Patamon had followed Impmon along with Gatomon, though Renamon was quick to stop Tentomon before saying "Listen, we have a set area around this park and we're going to explain it to you alright?" Tentomon nodded and responded "Well that does make sense, but tell me something Renamon... What's your Tamer like?" As the two walked out Renamon then answered "My Tamer is a bit different from most of the group. For she is a somewhat difficult case, who only opens up to myself, the group and her family... But nobody else."

Tentomon then pondered Renamon's answer and said "Well, my Tamer is quite intelligent and surprisingly able to read a book written entirely in binary. Although, that's really the only thing I do know about him. To be honest we just met yesterday." Renamon responded "Well, let's put it this way... A lot of the Digimon in our group of Tamers and Digimon have known their Tamers for a few months, and yet they still might not know everything about them. Just because you've only recently met your Tamer, doesn't make you any less of a Digimon compared to the rest of us. You have just as much potential and as much power as a Digimon with a partner." Tentomon then felt quite inspired by Renamon's words and responded "In that case, I'll try as hard as I possibly can! But I really hope that Izzy doesn't end up in danger." When they got to the group of Digimon Impmon then said "Alright new guy! Let's see how good you are at hide and seek!" Tentomon breathed a sigh of relief and responded "Alrighty then, so which one of us doing the seeking?" Patamon raised his hand and went to count on a tree.

* * *

Meanwhile in the Digital World...

In the forest sector of the Digital World, there was a Digimon that seemed to serve Yggdrasil along with the Royal Knights. Although, he isn't really known to all the Digimon within the world... Except to the insect Digimon. He appeared to be a somewhat large beetle with dragonfly wings, purple armor plating on almost every part of his body... And of course a horn that seems to signify his power. That Digimon's name, was TyrantKabuterimon. And he was as ruthless as most Digimon came. Though in his case, it seemed to be mostly because of how he wanted a task to be performed. Not because of how he was. "It would appear that one of my potential subordinates has gone to the human world... Tis a shame he'll never see the light of day ever again." He said to himself while watching an orb that showed Tentomon playing hide and seek with the other Digimon in the area. One particular Digimon went up to TyrantKabuterimon and said "My lord. If I may, I would like to seek out this traitor and end his pitiful life!"

This Digimon appeared to be a larger red beetle with black stripes over where his eyes would be, and somewhat similar wings to the insect lord. "I recommend beating him down while he's alone. The fact that he has a partner could be a problem... If the loss of the Royal Knights was any indication of the Digimon Tamers' threat level to me and Yggdrasil. But remember Kuwagamon, the moment you set foot in the human world is the moment where you must act on your own." Kuwagamon nodded and responded "But of course master! I shall do as I please once Tentomon is out of the picture." He then flew out of the hole where TyrantKabuterimon was stationed and headed towards the sphere in the sky. "Ugh... I'm gonna end up losing more men than it's worth. My army can't take anymore subjugation! I've spent all my time, hiding just for the chance to rise up, and show Yggdrasil who is the true ruler of the insect kingdom! If he does not wish to accept me, then I shall take my own stand against the pathetic humans and-" However, it seemed that a dark figure stood nearby TyrantKabuterimon listening to the whole thing.

"And do what? Show me up with your pathetic insects, whom may I remind you have proven more than inept?" The figure said, interrupting TyrantKabuterimon's rant. "Ah Lord Yggdrasil, it's been far too long hasn't it?" TyrantKabuterimon said in a somewhat calm manner that contradicted his earlier rage. "Indeed. Though with you, it seems as though my recent loss of the Royal Knights has opened up an opportunity to you correct?" Yggdrasil responded somewhat suspicious of TyrantKabuterimon's intentions. "But of course my lord. You're even lucky to have my brigade of Virus type Digimon to take down those annoying Digimon Tamers. I mean seriously, a new Digimon shows up in the human world and one of my own decided to go and take care of the problem." TyrantKabuterimon answered and confirmed Yggdrasil's suspicions.

"I see... Then tell me, how would you fare against the Digimon Tamers at your current state? Though you may be just as powerful as maybe Omnimon, don't forget that even he fell. And now the Tamers have at least two members of the Royal Knights, A demon lord, the three Archangels, someone who's power is to literally absorb damage and grow stronger... And then there's the shaman. Despite her status as such, she possesses just as much power as any of the other Tamers and their partners. So if you wish to prove yourself to me, prove that you can kill a Digimon and their tamer. But bring the Digivice in order to prove your triumph. Otherwise, you'll just be a useless pawn to me." Yggdrasil then left TyrantKabuterimon alone to brood over his supposed ineptitude... But he then said "I haven't even fought the Digimon Tamers in the first place! All I know about them, is that they are extremely powerful and a new Tamer... Just means an easier target! So for now, all I do is sit and wait for my soldier to hopefully be successful on his mission." Another figure behind TyrantKabuterimon then said "You are aware that it would've been easier if I went." TyrantKabuterimon sighed and responded "Yes, Okuwamon... I know it would have been easier if you went and fought instead of Kuwagamon." He then continued to brood about his current situation.

* * *

Meanwhile back at school...

Koushiro had just gotten out of class, and was somewhat worried that Tentomon wasn't where he said that he'd be. "Tentomon! C'mon where are you!? Tentomon!" Koushiro shouted as though he were nearby. Although, one of the students noticed him and said "I think I might know where your partner is." Koushiro was a little shocked by someone knowing about his Digimon. "Wait... Are you... Ken Ichijouji?" He asked the stranger who nodded in response. "And you must be Koushiro Izumi. Captain of the computer club, and probably the only student who's taking all AP classes in High School." The two then shook hands in honor of their meeting. "So... How did you know what I was talking about?" Koushiro asked, realizing that maybe Ken might actually know what he means. "Two reasons. One, name another franchise that uses Mon at the end of each creature's name. Two, I've got a Digimon partner myself." Ken answered Koushiro, who was just pondering the first answer... But then he perked up to the second answer. "Wait! You have a Digimon too!?" He said in surprise.

Ken then revealed Wormmon in his backpack. "Hey Ken, are we going to see the others?" Wormmon asked before noticing Koushiro nearby. "Ken? Is this a new friend?" Wormmon asked Ken who nodded and responded "Well for now, we're taking him to see his partner and the others at the park." Koushiro then said "But the park is filled with guests! There's no way Tentomon can hide from people!" Ken then patted Koushiro on the head and responded "Don't worry about it. Besides, I'm sure they've got the location to hide in." Ken started walking towards the area, for Koushiro to follow him while sporting a concerned expression on his face. As they continued on their path to the park, Ken had occassionally glanced back at Koushiro who seemed to be a bit down in the dumps. "Don't worry about this being your first time as a Tamer. Not everyone is perfect at the job. Sometimes, our fearless leader has some doubts and he still pulls through in the end." Ken said to try and reassure Koushiro who looked up and responded "Yeah... But I just wish that I would've taken the time to learn how to be a Tamer."

* * *

Wormmon then looked at Koushiro before saying "There's no one way to be a Tamer... Just go about it how you would." Ken then finished saying "And by that, you just have to be yourself." Koushiro seemed to be cheered up by Ken and Wormmon's statement. They then arrived at the Shinjuku park. Though Koushiro seemed to be looking around for his partner. Wormmon jumped down from Ken and said "I'll go find his partner. Why don't you stay here for now?" Ken nodded and walked up to Koushiro, while Wormmon went to get Tentomon. As Wormmon got into the shed, he noticed that each of the Digimon were playing go-fish. Gatomon seemed to be sporting a bored expression on her face as the game proceeded, Renamon was still as stoic as ever, Patamon was still very enthusiastic, Impmon was sporting quite a poker face. And Tentomon seemed to be sitting there a bit confused on how Go-Fish works. "So... How does anyone win this game?" Tentomon asked and the others seemed to look at him as though they've already explained this.

"The game ends when one person has more matches than the others... Which is determined after we run out cards." Renamon explained to Tentomon in a somewhat kind manner. "Oh... Thank you Renamon. I'll try to remember that as we continue on." Tentomon responded, appreciating Renamon's explanation. "Excuse me Tentomon, I believe your Tamer is looking for you." Wormmon said interrupting the game. "I'm sorry guys, my Tamer wishes to know where I've been. So... I guess another time maybe?" Tentomon said to the others who looked at each other and shrugged. "Eh, why not? You've actually been doing very well. So, you're welcome to play Go-Fish with us any time you want." Gatomon said confirming what everyone else seemed to be thinking. Although, Tentomon's antenna went straight up... As though he seem to be shuddering about something. "Oh no... IZZY!" Tentomon said out of nowhere before heading to where his Tamer is liable to be. The others seemed to take this as a sign that, another sinister Digimon is nearby and followed Tentomon.

Back with Ken and Koushiro, they seemed to have been confronted by Kuwagamon who was staring them down... Although more focused on Koushiro then Ken. "My master wishes for you to be dead young one..." Kuwagamon said to Koushiro who seemed to be too scared to even move. When Kuwagamon attempted to strike him down, Ken jumped in and pushed Koushiro out of the way. "Sorry, I got too scared." Koushiro said to Ken who patted him on the back and responded "It gets easier with time." Ken then stood in between Koushiro and Kuwagamon. "I see that you intend on interfering boy!" He said before setting his sights on Ken... Only to be interrupted by... "Fox leaf Arrowhead!" Arrowheads made of energy hit Kuwagamon's back and he turned to see that, five rookie level Digimon stand in his way. "So, you all wish to die without your Tamers huh?" Kuwagamon asked before charging at Renamon... Only to miss completely.

Renamon then grabbed Gatomon's tail and threw her at Kuwagamon. Though in Gatomon's case... It was planned completely. "Cat Kick!" Gatomon said while kicking Kuwagamon who was then thrown on the floor. "Summoning flame!" Impmon said before summoning a circle of flames that surrounded Kuwagamon in a mix of orange and purple flames. Although that seemed to only anger him. "Aw dammit! Bugs are supposed to be weak to fire right?" Impmon asked the others who were somewhat confused at this point. However, it seemed that another Digimon came in and struck Kuwagamon. That, was Stingmon... Wormmon's Champion form. "Finally, a fellow insect Digimon worthy of my time!" Kuwagamon said before targetting Stingmon who kept on dodging the red beetle's attacks. Koushiro ended up reunited with Tentomon who said "Don't worry Izzy! I've been with Gatomon and the others the whole time! But how do you think we're gonna handle this?" Koushiro pondered how they should handle the situation... Until he remembered Ken swiping a card through his Digivice. "Hey Ken, May I see the card you used for Wormmon?" Koushiro asked Ken who handed him what he hoped was an evolution card. "Thanks!"

Koushiro then slashed the card through his Digivice, all while saying " **Card Slash! Evolution Activate!** "

 **EVOLUTION._**

[Cue Brave Heart Adventure Tri version]

 **Tentomon Evolve To...**

Tentomon had then started to undergo a change, which slowly turned him from a red ladybug with four pinsors and two hands... To what appeared to be a blue beetle with a horn instead of incisors, with four arms, and four wings. Though he had five claws attached to his fingers instead of just four fingers. It also appeared to lack any sort of eyes in his head.

 **Kabuterimon!**

Koushiro had looked at Kabuterimon with a somewhat surprised expression on his face, and he had decided to analyze his partner's new form. "Kabuterimon, Vaccine Type, Champion Level. Attacks are: Electro Shocker, Beetle Horn and Electric Storm." Kabuterimon then charged at Kuwagamon head first. Which rammed him straight into a tree that nearly broke. "Traitor! How dare you strike me!" Kuwagamon said before noticing that Kabuterimon charged up an electric beam. " **Electro Shocker!** " Kabuterimon said firing the attack at Kuwagamon who didn't even try dodging for some reason. After the attack, he roared at Kabuterimon with defiance before being assaulted by another head on attack, which sent him flying into the air. From there, Stingmon was prepared to strike at Kuwagamon with his poison blades. And with said blades, he took out Kuwagamon's right arms. "You! Even if I die, there are more out there with power levels even stronger than I! So take that to your graves you fools!" Kuwagamon said in arrogance, knowing that he couldn't win at this point. It was then that Kabuterimon fired another beam of electric energy at Kuwagamon, which then penetrated through his armor... And utterly destroyed him. At first Kuwagamon just looked at the data scattering from the insect Digimon... But he then ignored it and moved to find Koushiro.

[End Brave Heart]

Kabuterimon had looked at Koushiro, who was staring at the blue beetle the whole time. At first it seemed that the insect Digimon would be rejected by his Tamer... Only for Koushiro to say "Amazing... You didn't just change into something slightly bigger, you became an entirely different species of insect. I've never seen an evolution like this in a living creature! This is something I've got to study!" Kabuterimon was quite relieved to hear Koushiro's enthusiasm over his new form. Stingmon had immediately de-evolved back into Wormmon and went back into Ken's arms. Some of the other Tamers had arrived to see that their Digimon, Ken and a new arrival took care of the bio-emergeance. "See Kari, it was just your paranoia again." Rika said to Hikari as she was calming down about the whole situation. Nia had walked up to Impmon, who said "Eh don't worry about it. Besides, at least one Tamer was here and it was a Kuwagamon. So... No biggie." They then high fived each other before heading with the rest of the group. Takeru saw that Patamon seemed to have not done anything the whole fight. "They told me to stay back TK." Patamon said in his defense. He looked at the Digimon surrounding the area and responded "Meh. Fair enough."

Ken walked up to Koushiro and said "How about we get Kabuterimon back into Tentomon, before you gawk at the possibility of Super Evolution." Koushiro snapped out of his state and responded "How do I do that?" Ken then had Koushiro and Kabuterimon follow him nearby a set of trees. "Now then, I want Kabuterimon here to stand on his hands until he de-evolves." Koushiro seemed a bit skeptical at that strategy, until he saw Kabuterimon immediately doing said action. "You sure this is going to work? I mean, handstanding isn't really a good way to expend energy." Koushiro questioned Ken who responded "Well, it puts strain on his arms right? So for as long as he does that, he's spending energy and is slowly wearing himself down." Koushiro shrugged his shoulders and watched Kabuterimon. "Well, at least I'll get to study the evolution process of a digimon in reverse..." Koushiro said to himself before pulling out his laptop and connected the Digivice to the computer, through their usb ports...

Omake: Articles...

Koushiro had looked up articles regarding Digimon on the internet at home, noticing the name Peterson E. on each of the articles. "Huh? Why do I keep seeing this name on any article regarding Digimon?" Koushiro asked no one in particular and Tentomon responded "Perhaps he's someone famous on the internet." Koushiro looked closely at the name and decided to ask about it tomorrow. While Koushiro was gathering data on a Digimon's evolution cycle in reverse, he immediately thought of those articles on Digimon. "Excuse me Ken? Could you answer me a question?" Koushiro asked Ken who nodded and said "Sure, ask away." Koushiro then noticed the other Tamers were nearby as well and asked "Well, I looked up these articles regarding Digimon to get some research on Digimon... And I kept finding this name on each and every one of them." Ken tilted his head and responded "Well, who's name was it?" Koushiro then said "Well, the name of the person who wrote each article was someone by the name of E. Peterson." Ken and the others had a simultaneous groan at the mere mention of the name. Koushiro raised an eyebrow and asked "What? What did I say?"

つづく


	14. Taichi meets Sky

The Following is a non-profit Fanfiction. Digimon is owned by Toei Animation, Bandai, Akiyoshi Hongo and licensed by Saban Brands. Please support the official release, by buying the DVDs...

Digimon Tamers Crimson: Knights of Grim Episode 14: Taichi meets Sky...

On a train headed for Shinjuku, there was a woman with ginger colored hair and looking as though she had just gotten out of school. Her reasoning for being on the train to Shinjuku was to confirm if the news broadcast two days ago was true... And that the boy known as Taichi Kamiya was still alive. She also had a large backpack with her aboard the train which was more blue-ish than pink as most girls barring Rika and Nia would carry around. However, in her bag she seemed to have cramped something a bit big inside... Something that luckily for her, didn't catch anyone's attention... And they assumed that she was carrying gym clothes. She was still quite concerned for what had found it's way to her home, and in her life. Once she got to her stop, she immediately rushed up the stairs and unzipped the bag and released the pink bird Digimon from two days ago that had a run in with the Shadow Tamer. Her name, was Biyomon...

And she actively sought out her Tamer, until she came across Sora helping out at her mother's flower shop. Biyomon then said "Well, at least you had an open part of the bag just so I could breathe. So thank you Sora." The ginger haired girl seemed to wear regular jeans, white short sleeved shirt with a pink sleeveless shirt on the inside. Somewhat small pink tennis shoes and a hair clip in her hair which had a flower accessory on it. "Biyomon, wait until we see Taichi before you start speaking in public. I'm not even sure how Digimon are accepted in Shinjuku. So for now, could you pretend to be a plushie... Please?" Sora responded to her partner. Biyomon reluctantly agreed and let Sora carry her in her arms. The whole way through, she was pouting... Though they recieved some looks from little kids who were curious about the high schooler carrying a plushie... Instead of being somewhat obsessed with her cell phone.

She then approached the apartment complex and went up to the front door of the Kamiya apartment. She took in a deep breath and knocked on the door. Yuko had promptly answered the door and noticed that Sora was there. "Oh! Now there's a face we haven't seen in years!" Yuko said excitedly regarding Sora who responded "Um, could I see if Tai's home?" Yuko then turned around and yelled "Hey Tai! There's a friend here to see you!" Taichi in his bedroom yelled "If it's Simon, tell him to wait until I'm fully awake." Yuko was about to tell Sora to wait until Taichi was awake, but then Sora let herself in and walked into Taichi's bedroom. Yuko then sighed and said "Sometimes I wonder why I bother stopping people..." Agumon put his arm on Yuko's leg as though to give her reassurance. Sora then ended up in Taichi's bedroom, which seemed to have a whole bunch of books stacked nearby the computer, where Taichi was practically sleeping nearby. "Stupid Tai... Always gotta be the hero and take the load for everyone else huh?"

Taichi turned around somewhat groggily and said "Oh. Hey Sora." And turned around to face the computer. Biyomon was going to say something, but Sora interrupted saying "Give it a minute. He'll get it." Taichi felt an alarm clock in his head reaching an hour mark... And ringing loudly in his head. "WAIT! SORA!? WHY ARE YOU HERE!?" Taichi yelled in realization while turning to face Sora, who plugged her ears with her fingers. She then removed her fingers from her ears and responded "Well, I was going to text you that I was coming to Shinjuku to visit... Since I knew that you and your family moved to Shinjuku after that incident in Highton View Terrace." Taichi seemed a bit curious about that incident... But then he remembered the incident in question. "Oh yeah! That was when that Greymon and Parrotmon were fighting each other in the middle of the city. Although I think Kari ended up getting more invovled then I was. But then again, she ended up being more enthusiastic towards being a Tamer than I was."

He later saw that Sora was starting to shed tears. "Huh, Sora? Is everything alright?" Taichi asked Sora who then leaned her head against his chest and said "Stupid Tai... Where were you? We all thought you were dead! And here you are, acting like it's nothing! You... You idiot!" She started sobbing in his chest and Taichi thought to give her a hug for reassurance. Taichi then let go of Sora after she was done with the water works. Biyomon meanwhile was sitting on the floor, quite shocked that her Tamer suddenly started crying in front of her and this boy she just met. Sora started wiping her tears with her hands and said "I'm sorry about that. It's just that... I needed to know and... I'm so happy. Please don't do something stupid like that again!" Taichi then responded "Well, maybe we could do some catch up first... And we'll see about your proposition." They were about to walk out of Taichi's room... Until Biyomon coughed. "Oh right. Taichi, this is Biyomon. And like you and your other Tamer friends... I'm a Digimon Tamer."

This made Taichi's jaw drop to the floor. Sora and Biyomon both picked up Taichi's jaw and locked it back in place. "Not you too!" Taichi yelled after getting over the shock. Sora seemed a bit confused and responded "But Kari's a Digimon Tamer... So why can't I be one?" Taichi then responded "Because, I don't want any of my old friends getting hurt out there!" Sora then put her hands on Taichi's shoulders and said "Alright look. We've known each other since we were little kids... And you didn't seem to mind it when I was playing soccer with you despite being a girl." Taichi responded "But this is different! Being a Digimon Tamer means risking life and limb for those you care about. And I didn't care that you were a girl wanting to play soccer because you were good at it! And you just got Biyomon without any cards to help her do anything!" Sora then held up a full deck of cards that seemed to be designed for Biyomon. "What was that about not having any cards again?" Sora asked Taichi in a somewhat smug manner. "Alright fine... First catch up. Then teaching you to be a Tamer alright?" Taichi responded and Sora nodded to his question.

* * *

Meanwhile...

Kabuterimon was busy hand-standing near a tree, waiting to de-evolve back into Tentomon. Koushiro seemed a bit keen on researching Digimon and knew that today he had off from his workplace. Though for now, the other Tamers had left with their Digimon except for Ken, who stayed with Koushiro to help him with his partner. "So did it take this long for Stingmon to de-evolve the first time, or was it different for you?" Koushiro asked Ken who responded "It usually depends on the bond you have with your partner, the amount of times they've evolved into their larger forms, and the amount of energy they've expended through their conflicts. So overall, I'd say train for a bit and see what you come up with." Koushiro thought a bit about Ken's suggestion... Only for him to say "Ken, I don't mean any disrespect... But I don't really have time to train up Tentomon like he's some kind of video game character. I've got my own real life worries and my parents wouldn't like it if I just snuck off to practice moves with Tentomon."

Ken sighed and responded "Just wait for another Bio-emergeance. If one comes up, then you should take some action and defeat the oncoming Digimon." Koushiro snapped his fingers and said "Oh yeah! That's an interesting idea. Though I just hope that we'll be prepared..." Kabuterimon then de-evolved a little later and reverted back to Tentomon. "Hey Izzy, I gotta ask... Are we going to end up doing things like this again?" Tentomon asked Koushiro who sighed and responded "With how things are, I wouldn't be surprised if we end up finding danger again. But then again, I guess this is just one of life's many complications." Tentomon looked at Ken and Wormmon, then back at Koushiro and said "Izzy... How about we find a way to get stronger together! Though I'm sure you're gonna be busy and what not." Koushiro shrugged his shoulders and responded "Well we could always get some Digimon cards at the store... But then we'd actually need a teacher of some kind. Someone who's been doing this for quite a while..." Ken was about to suggest either himself or Simon... But then he saw Taichi passing by with a girl into the card store.

He then walked up to Koushiro and said "Well, there's someone in the card store that you'd want to meet..." Koushiro seemed confused and decided to walk towards the card store with Tentomon in tow. Wormmon then looked to Ken and asked "So Ken, should we see if Davis has any suggestions on what to do if we're separated again?" Ken sighed and responded "Wormmon, we've talked about this already. We need to find a new form for Stingmon to evolve into besides Paildramon. Otherwise, then we'd be solely reliant on Davis and V-Mon. Meanwhile Davis probably has the same idea... Only he's already got a solution in that department." Wormmon was somewhat curious about that solution... But then he remembered there's one other Royal Knight they've yet to beat. And that's likely the one Daisuke and V-Mon intend to attain by the time school is done.

"See now you get it. So we have to look through your evolutionary potential and see what we can work towards." Wormmon nodded and responded "But wait... Doesn't V-Mon have to evolve into something along the lines of the Veedramon family?" Ken answered "I'm not all that certain about that regard, but I do know that we have a part of the Digital World to work with." Wormmon then jumped into Ken's arms and asked "And where would that be?" Ken then answered "I was thinking somewhere along the lines of the forest area." Wormmon nodded and Ken had walked towards the direction where he assumed Daisuke would be. Koushiro had walked into the card store with Tentomon, to discover that there wasn't really much there. "I'm guessing we'll have to look through the store and see what we can get..." Koushiro said before examining some of the Digimon cards that were stored in starter decks. He seemed quite intrigued by each of them and surprised at how cheap they were to him. "Oh hey! There's a starter deck for insect type Digimon!" Koushiro said with quite a bit of enthusiasm. He then grabbed the pack and waited in line to pay for the deck.

Taichi and Sora had walked into the card shop earlier... To Sora's confusion since she already had a deck of cards for Biyomon. "So, explain to me again why we're here?" Sora asked Taichi who responded "Ah, Sora... You must address me as Taichi-sensei. Not just Tai or Taichi." Sora sighed and asked again "Okay, Taichi-Sensei... Why are we here?" Taichi then responded "I'm trying to update my deck for Agumon... And to see if we've got new cards for Biyomon." Sora groaned and said "Tai... This is not what I pictured when I said we should catch up." However, what they didn't notice was that Koushiro was listening in on their conversation and he said "Tai... It really is you..." Taichi looked behind him and saw Koushiro. "Koushiro! This is a surprise..." Sora said to Koushiro who responded "Well, we're both Tamers now... So I guess we're here for the same reason."

Sora looked at Taichi and said "Somewhat. I'm here for personal reasons as well as for Digimon." Taichi then hugged Koushiro and said "Man is it good to see you again!" Koushiro felt quite a bit of strength in Taichi's hug and responded "Yeah... It's really good to see you again Taichi." Taichi then let go of Koushiro and looked back at Sora saying "Looks like all three of us are gonna have to do some catch up." However, before they could agree on it, the clerk said "Alright Kamiya, I've got some of the latest Greymon cards... But they're gonna cost you a bit." Taichi then felt color drain from his face... Until Koushiro walked up and pulled out quite a bit of Yen. "I'll pay for this and my starter deck." The clerk then accepted Koushiro's money and gave him the deck as well as the new cards. "You should thank your friend there Kamiya, he saved you about 20 yen worth of rare cards." The clerk said to Taichi who was still a bit surprised by Koushiro's generous donation. "Alrighty then, Where were we?" Koushiro asked before Taichi remembered to do some catch up with Koushiro and Sora...

* * *

Meanwhile in the Digital World...

"Darn! Darn! Darney! DARN!" TyrantKabuterimon had blown up his throne after finding out that one his own died. He started breathing in and out angrily as Okuwamon replaced his throne... With another throne. "This is impossible! He went after one of the newer Tamers! How in the hell could he possibly lose!?" TyrantKabuterimon yelled in anger as though he were expecting a response from someone or Okuwamon. "Perhaps Kuwagamon had a run in with one of the veteran Tamers and that's what gave Tentomon the time to evolve. Perhaps in time master, he could be a threat to you..." TyrantKabuterimon then decided to take deep breaths and calm down, despite hearing that bit of news about Tentomon's growing power. "So then, what would you suggest? Sending in more agents to dispose of them? Or should we keep it simple?" TyrantKabuterimon asked Okuwamon who was pondering what to do next... When a transmission had come in. "Incoming message from lord Yggdrasil!" Okuwamon said regarding the message and then put him on display.

"So, I see you've failed in bringing a Digivice TyrantKabuterimon... I should have expected this from a mile away. Your attempts at strategy are simply throwing your troops at the problem until it goes away... Needless to say that is no surprise that your troops are mostly fodder compared to Okuwamon and yourself." TyrantKabuterimon then angrily responded to Yggdrasil "I still have several Insect type Digimon around! And I've got something even Okuwamon is no match for! And last I checked, your army is down to just you since you gave your last troop to Bagra!" Yggdrasil started cackling at TyrantKabuterimon's words and responded "Seriously! You think it's just me!? Oh please, you've got it all wrong there my friend. There have been many Digimon that I've corrupted over these past years since my inception. So, the Royal Knights were merely my equivalent to Bagra's Death Generals. I have dozens upon dozens of troops to spare, and you don't see me just picking one blindly and throwing it at my enemy." TyrantKabuterimon then responded "Well you know what!? I'm done with your psycho analysis nonsense! I will destroy each and every Digimon Tamer on Earth. And then... I'm coming for you Yggdrasil!"

Yggdrasil smirked at TyrantKabuterimon's declaration and simply said "I'm counting on it..." Before ending the conversation with TyrantKabuterimon. Okuwamon looked at his master with concern... "My lord. This is a declaration of war! We'd be facing Yggdrasil's army of Digimon slaves! This is utter madness! It would mean the end of all Insect Digimon kind!" Okuwamon said to TyrantKabuterimon who looked at Okuwamon and responded "So what do you suggest we do!? Give in to his demands and kiss his non-existent boot!?" Okuwamon then smirked and answered "Actually no sir... I'm saying, that I'm right with you until that bitter end. Wherever you go, I'll follow. Whatever you demand, I shall perform. And whatever data you want from our kind... I shall provide without hesitation." TyrantKabuterimon felt some relief upon hearing of Okuwamon's true loyalty. "Good. Then prepare our next volley of Kuwagamon. This time, we'll send at least three to make sure a team of Rookies won't overtake them." TyrantKabuterimon ordered Okuwamon who then knelt nearby the purple beetle and responded "As you wish my lord..."

Okuwamon turned towards the reserve troops of Kuwagamon who were waiting to be deployed into battle. "Now then, you have your targets. Whether you live or die, will be a success to us. We'll be watching your every move, and the moves of our opponents. So figuratively, we're with you. But know this as well, when you kill the Digimon Tamer and their partner... You must bring forth his or her Digivice to our lord. And once we have all them, including the rainbow ringed one owned by the leader... We will have proven ourselves ready to dethrone Yggdrasil! And once that is done, we will rule over not just the Digital World... But also the Human World called Earth! Now then comrades... Are you with me!?" Okuwamon had finished his speech to the trio who nodded in agreement and flew up towards the sphere in the sky. "Now then, to focus on what kind of information we can get out of those three..." Okuwamon said before summoning the crystal ball to his side and gazing into the light that it emits. TyrantKabuterimon had also looked into the ball to see what awaited them...

* * *

Back in Yggdrasil's tree...

"I see that you're scheming to get rid of the last ruler of the Digital World..." Grima said to Yggdrasil who still sported a smug look on his face. "Yes indeed. For once he's out of the picture, all that's left is Bagra and then... Everything can go as you planned Grima." Yggdrasil responded to Grima who started laughing quite maniacally. "Good! Very Good! Now you're starting to see the way that I see it. People around you to use, and circumstances that you can manipulate!" Grima said with enthusiasm. Yggdrasil then kneeled before Grima and asked "Well then my lord, what if TyrantKabuterimon finds some strange way to pull this off? Do we just kill him?" Grima then pondered this thought and said "Yes. If he found a way to destroy the Digimon Tamers... Use everything in your power to make him suffer. And once he's dead, there would be absolutely nothing in our path."

Yggdrasil then gave quite a creepy smile and responded "Yes indeed my lord! And before you ask, the evolution process for that egg you asked my troops to retrieve... It seems to have finally hatched. Now all we need is for it to fully evolve into the necessary component and we'll be all set for the final phase of your scheme." Grima felt satisfied that Yggdrasil has finally gotten the egg to hatch. "Good... But it appears that this could take time without a Tamer... Nor battle experience with destroying other Digimon. So I'd say give it at least two years before we can put it to the test." Yggdrasil then felt some of his enthusiasm drain... But he then realized that he could make necessary adjustments to the Digimon he had retrieved. "Very well then, it shall be done. And once it's finished, you'll see the true power of Digimon under my influence... Or rather, your influence." Yggdrasil said before phasing through the floor of the tree down to a lower level. Grima however, seemed to be pondering something important. "I have to remember... July 30th... That's when the timeline started going wrong for me... But once I gain the power needed to destroy both worlds... That little time paradox won't even matter. He'll just be a minor inconvienence that can be circumvented..." Grima said to himself...

* * *

Meanwhile, in the Human World...

Taichi, Sora and Koushiro were sitting nearby one another watching the clouds go by as Taichi had explained what happened to him within the Digital World. He recounted all of his tales with his partner Agumon, and his time with Xros Heart... And the brief memories of teaming up with Simon's group, before becoming a member of his somewhat growing family. "And that's what happened. After all our battles with Bagramon's army, we came back to this world with Simon's group, and I got reacquanted with my mom... And studying..." Taichi said after telling his tales... And remembering what he's currently doing. Koushiro seemed skeptical at Taichi's complaining about studying and Sora seemed very confused about why he's so worried. "Tai, why on earth are you complaining about homework? I mean, you've been through all kinds of hell as you've described and a little schoolwork is all it takes to break your resolve?" Sora asked Taichi who responded "You try being away from school for six years and being forced to study for an entrance exam... And then we'll talk!"

Sora then felt a bit guilty for Taichi and Koushiro sighed before saying "Look, how about when I have free time from work, I'll help you study... And maybe you should stop complaining about schoolwork. Also, Sora seems to be quite affectionate towards you." Taichi seemed a bit relieved by Koushiro's words and responded "Thank you Izzy! Thank you! And what do you mean by affectionate?" Koushiro sighed and pointed to Sora who was blushing somewhat. "Uh Sora... Are you okay?" Taichi asked Sora who responded "Um, it's j-j-just t-t-that... Um... Say, why don't you teach how to be Tamers? I mean that is why we're out here right?" Taichi slapped his cheek and said "Oh yeah! Hold on a minute, I need to get in touch with Agumon and Biyomon!" He then pulled out his phone and called his apartment's number. Sora was then looking at Koushiro and Tentomon who seemed to be sitting there as though it were nothing. Koushiro looked at her with a bit of disdain and said "To think, the only time you said you had any feelings towards him were when you thought he was dead." Sora blushed even further and responded "Shut up Izzy! Why don't you confess to Mimi!? I mean... She's wanted you for some time."

Koushiro shrugged and responded "Sora, the difference between me and you is that, you're already decided on who you love... And meanwhile I'm still unsure. She seems nice and all... But you and Tai are perfect for each other. Meanwhile, Mimi couldn't even stand to be in the same room as me... Which is sort of why we don't really hang out with each other. She went to America for a while, and then came back to Japan with her parents... Who got a job here." Sora shrugged and said "Well in that case, maybe now you'll have time to sort out your feelings for Mimi. So if tell Tai how I feel, you'll sort out your feelings on Mimi... Deal?" She then extended her hand to Koushiro who then took it and responded "It's a deal. Now then, how about you go up to him and tell him?" Sora stood up and said "Alright fine, I will!" She walked up to Taichi who was still on the phone with Agumon, who was handed the phone by Yuko. He turned to face Sora... Only for her to kiss him out of the blue. Agumon on the other side of the line was worried for his Tamer and decided to bolt towards the park... With Biyomon following not too far behind.

"Okay... I'm guessing that either he got kidnapped... Or Sora loves him..." Yuko guessed based on what she knew about Taichi and Sora... Though in her case, she's not all that worried since the Digimon were on their way to their Tamers as she spoke. Taichi seemed to go somewhat wide-eyed as Sora was still kissing him... And then she stopped to give him time to breathe. "So Izzy, how's that for a confession?" Sora asked Koushiro who sighed and responded "Well, I didn't know you were trying to kill our tutor with a kiss... But I guess I gotta fulfill my end of the bargain now." Sora smiled and Taichi still seemed flabbergasted at Sora's sudden kiss. He then shook his head and asked "Izzy, did that just happen?" Koushiro nodded and Taichi felt himself blush just by looking at Sora's face. Taichi then asked "Sora... How did I not see that before? I mean, you could have any other guy... But why me?" Sora then hugged Taichi and responded "Because Tai... You're the kind of idiot I want."

Sora then let go of Taichi and he remembered what he was supposed to be doing. "Alright, to be a Digimon Tamer, you'll need to rely on your gut instinct on which card to use and at what time. You also need to have strategy when using said card... Which is why all of my cards are for my buddy Agumon. There are enhancement cards which give your Digimon stat increases for a short time. Then there's the attachment cards which give a Digimon a piece of equipment that helps them with their weakpoints. Support cards can heal a Digimon's lowered health and the actual Digimon related cards can give your Digimon the powers and attacks of other Digimon. Any questions?" Koushiro raised his hand and asked "This seems a bit strange considering that this is only using parts of the official Digimon card game. But my real question is, how can the card game apply to real life?"

Taichi felt a bit confident and responded "Well Izzy, as soon as Agumon gets here I can show you." Agumon then shows up panting heavily with Biyomon not too far behind. "What happened!? Did that woman suffocate you? Did she force you to give in to her wiles? Or is she secretly a LadyDevimon in disguise...?" Everybody looked at Agumon with a heavy amount of shame... And then Koushiro along with Biyomon face palmed at Agumon's statement. "Oh my god..." Koushiro and Biyomon said at the same time as well. Sora was tempted to hit Agumon... But was stopped by Taichi who said "Sora! Don't worry it was an honest mistake! Right Agumon!?" Agumon seemed to be confused by Taichi's statement and responded "I could've sworn that she was a LadyDevimon who killed you mid-sentence." Tentomon watching this whole thing with popcorn that Koushiro bought him, said "Yeah... He's sunk." Sora was about to go ballistic until Agumon remembered Taichi's mother's death glare... And said "Okay! Okay! I'm sorry alright!? You're a beautiful woman and I'm glad that you and Tai are spending time together!" Sora then calmed down and responded "I forgive you. Just please understand that... I really love Tai, and I'd never hurt him." Agumon offered his hand and said "The feeling's mutual... Just in a family sense though."

Sora accepted Agumon's hand and shook it. Biyomon was relieved to see that Agumon and her Tamer were getting along. However, it seemed as though their time of catching up is thwarted by their Digivices. Taichi looked at his Digivice and saw that, there were three signals coming from the forest nearby town. "Well guys, we better get running. Cause we've got three uninvited guests headed our way." Taichi said before running towards where the compass was pointed. Koushiro and Sora both followed suit. After a while, Koushiro had decided to use one of his Digimon cards to hopefully evolve Tentomon. He ended up succeeding and Kabuterimon had scooped up Taichi, Sora and their Digimon while heading towards the target. "Thanks Izzy!" Taichi and Sora said at the same time. Koushiro then responded "Your welcome. And besides, this'll be easier than crossing several crosswalks." Taichi later said "Gotta wonder how Simon does it..."

Sora then asked "You mean that guy who was with you on the news?" Taichi responded "Yeah... Why?" Sora thought about it and answered "He doesn't seem like much." Taichi shrugged his shoulders and said "Well, there are times when he can be a little over the top... But overall he's a somewhat nice guy." Sora later responded "And sometimes I wonder why I don't go for every gorgeous guy I see on TV..." Kabuterimon then landed in the forest dropping off Taichi and Sora. Though Koushiro had gotten off on his own and hid behind some of the trees nearby. "Alright, where are they?" Taichi asked nobody in particular, although Sora couldn't really see through the fog due to her lack of eyewear. They were then greeted by three Kuwagamon who seemed to be intent on killing them. Sora then held up her Digivice, as though she were ready to fight against these foes. Taichi then said "Izzy, we need to split up and take these guys separately okay?" Koushiro nodded in response and had Kabuterimon take one of the red beetles towards the right of the forest, whereas Taichi and Sora seemed to be taking the two remaining ones head on...

* * *

 **Card Slash! Evolution Activate!**

 **EVOLUTION._**

 **Agumon Evolve to... GeoGreymon!**

GeoGreymon then went up to Kuwagamon and proceeded to headbutt him into a couple trees before continuing the chase. Sora and Biyomon meanwhile were occupied with the third Kuwagamon... Who then charged at the two. "Sora, give me a strength enhancement!" Biyomon said to her Tamer who then found one in the deck and slashed it. "Spiral Twister!" Biyomon said firing a green spiral flame that somewhat impeded Kuwagamon's charge. Biyomon then proceeded to peck at Kuwagamon, to which Sora added a speed enhancement which made Biyomon's pecking seem a bit more painful to the large beetle. She then tried to finish it off by flying up and then diving down to finish it off... Only for Biyomon to be knocked off by Kuwagamon who was trying to crush her.

"Biyomon! Hold on, I'll get you out!" She then slashed an expand card which caused Biyomon to inflate and prompt Kuwagamon to back off. "Thanks Sora. At least you're on top of all of this." Biyomon said thanking Sora who nodded and continued to express some worry for Biyomon. "Biyomon, what do you think we might need to evolve like Tai and Izzy?" Sora asked Biyomon who pondered the question and responded "I guess we'll need a can-do attitude and belief in each other. If you can pull out an evolution card through that desire... That might be the trick." Sora looked through her deck for an evolution card. At first she didn't seem to find one... Until she stumbled upon one and realized what this meant. "Biyomon! I think we've got our ticket to winning this fight... You ready?" Sora asked Biyomon who nodded and responded "Ready when you are Sora!" Sora then held up the card to her Digivice...

 **Card Slash! Evolution Activate!**

 **EVOLUTION._**

 **Biyomon Evolve to...**

Biyomon then changed from a pink bird... To a large orange bird with a bill, instead of beak. Though this bill had a row of sharp teeth instead of none at all. She even gained five talons on each of her legs...

 **Birdramon!**

Sora had looked on in amazement at Biyomon's evolution as it flew towards Kuwagamon and kicked it into the ground. She pulled out her Digivice and analyzed her partner's new form. "Birdramon, Vaccine Type, Champion Level. Attacks are: Meteor Wing, Mach Glide and Bir-Flame." Sora said quoting her Digivice. Birdramon then grabbed the insect Digimon with it's talons and flew up into the sky. "I eat Virus types like you for breakfast!" Birdramon said to Kuwagamon who then struggled against Birdramon's grasp. However, she then dropped him down to the ground where he crashed nearby a small dojo. Simon walked out with a coffee mug and saw the Digimon in question. "Huh... Never thought that there'd be one bold enough to make an appearance here." He said with some disinterest. Though Kuwagamon noticed Simon and was about to attack him... Only for Birdramon to pick him up again. "And there he goes." Simon said before retreating back into the dojo and shutting the door.

Kuwagamon then tried prying Birdramon's talons off of him... Only for Birdramon to throw him and charge up a fire breath attack. " **Bir-Flame!** " She said as the breath impacted Kuwagamon and caused him to land even further into the forest. Birdramon then made a spinning manuever before shooting fire balls from it's wings. " **Meteor Wing!** " She said as the attacks were coming out of the wings. Kuwagamon didn't have any time to react as the blasts destroyed him. Birdramon then flew back to Sora to report her triumph over Kuwagamon. GeoGreymon meanwhile was continuing his assault on Kuwagamon who continued to try and overpower him... Only for GeoGreymon to headbutt him into another set of trees. " **Mega Shot!** " GeoGreymon said shooting a small fire ball at Kuwagamon, which then pierced through Kuwagamon's torso. The red insect then burst into data and GeoGreymon gave a triumphant roar before de-evolving back into Agumon. Meanwhile, Kabuterimon seemed to be having a bit of a hard time with it's Kuwagamon... Only for him to try shooting it's attack point blank. " **Electro Shocker!** " Kabuterimon yelled as he fired the beam of electricity at Kuwagamon, who then ended up bursting into data almost immediately.

Kabuterimon then de-evolved back into Tentomon... Due to him evolving earlier today, and immediately evolving on the same day... Only a few hours later. "Izzy, can we have some kind of big dinner? Cause now I'm starving..." Tentomon asked Koushiro before passing out. Koushiro then walked up to Tentomon and picked him up. "Don't worry about it. I'll see what we can do about dinner tonight." Koushiro said to Tentomon who would feel relieved if he were concious. Birdramon meanwhile, seemed to have not de-evolved along with Agumon and Tentomon... Due to her not straining herself as much as the others. Taichi, Koushiro and their partners met up with Sora and Birdramon so they could congratulate them on their victory. "So guys, now do you want a ride home? Cause Birdramon's probably more than willing..." Sora asked the two. Birdramon then stretched out it's wings and leaned forward for the other Tamers and Sora. Koushiro and Taichi looked at each other and accepted Sora's offer.

All three of them along with their Digimon, climbed onto the massive bird and she carried them all on her back. Her eyes turned to Tentomon and said "Well, now I know how you felt carrying all of us." Tentomon woke up hearing that comment and responded "Yeah, but I was carrying you in my hands... Not on my back with the exception of Izzy." Koushiro giggled a bit at that comment, but Taichi and Sora were somewhat oblivious to Tentomon and Birdramon's comment. "So Tai... I was wondering, do you think we could go on a few dates? Or do I have to wait until you're in school?" Sora asked Taichi who responded "Well... My mom's busy making me study every day, and I gotta go to America with Xros Heart. Since we've got one last battle to deal with before helping Simon and the others..." Sora seemed disappointed with Taichi's words... Until he grabbed her hand and said "But I promise... The minute I pass my entry exam, I will take you out on a date. So I hate to ask this... but could you wait a little longer?" Sora felt somewhat reassured by Taichi's statement and responded "Alright... Just don't make me wait too long... Taichi Kamiya." Koushiro seemed to feel a little uncomfortable and said "May I ask you two to get a room...?"

 **As Birdramon flew into the sunset, one thing was certain... Sora and Taichi's relationship may be a somewhat unstable one. But as they have their peaceful moments, TyrantKabuterimon plots to destroy the Digimon Tamers... How will they defeat this new foe? Find out next time, on Digimon Tamers Crimson: Knights of Grim!**


	15. Howl of the Teenage Wolf

The Following is a non-profit Fanfiction. Digimon is owned by Toei Animation, Akiyoshi Hongo, Bandai and licensed by Saban Brands. Please support the official release, by buying the DVDs...

Digimon Tamers Crimson: Knights of Grim Episode 15: Howl of the Teenage Wolf...

A week seemed to have gone by quite fast for Takeru Takaishi. He had just gotten out of class along with the other Tamers, and they were still preparing for finals in two weeks. Though in his case, he was more optimistic for his older brother Yamato Ishida visiting along with his band. However, he knew that the first thing they'd do is go to the concert stage to rehearse their songs they've got planned for their concert. And they would need all the days in their week to practice each song. So Takeru had decided to go and pick up Patamon, before heading to said hall. Patamon had been playing some checkers with the other Digimon in the park... Which seemed to be going a bit wrong due to him going up against Tentomon. "King me..." Tentomon said after his piece had reached Patamon's side of the board. Patamon sighed and put one of Tentomon's taken pieces on top of the black checker.

Renamon and Impmon watched with somewhat similar expressions on their faces and Gatomon seemed to be waiting patiently for her turn. "One of us plays winner?" Impmon asks Renamon who looks to him and responded "Alrighty then, but who are you rooting for?" Impmon pondered Renamon's question and responded "I'm still rooting for Patamon. But I'm guessing you're hoping for Tentomon to win?" Renamon shrugged her shoulders, not really giving a clear answer to Impmon. Though the game was interrupted when Takeru showed up. "So... Where'd you get the checker board?" Takeru asked the Digimon who looked at each other with some skepticism, until Tentomon spoke up and said "Izzy gave it to me! He said that if we ever get bored here, we'll have some games to play besides hide and seek." Renamon then added "Every time we'd play they all agreed that, I would never be the seeker." Takeru was at first thinking about why Renamon would say that, until he remembered her tracking ability. "I'm here to pick up Patamon." Takeru said before getting closer to Patamon who then said to Tentomon "You win this round, but I'll be back for a rematch!" Before being picked up by Takeru.

Patamon had sat himself on Takeru's head, and by extension hat. And the two headed towards where he assumed Yamato would be. He ended up running into Simon holding a Digi-Egg that he'd been carrying around recently. "Alright, what do you want?" Takeru asked Simon who responded "Well... I'm trying to find a Tamer for this little egg here, before it hatches. Though so far, all I've found are folks who wish to either eat the egg... Or downright reject the idea of a Digimon in their household." Takeru pondered this and said "Alright, why don't you come with me? I think we can find someone just right for that Digi-Egg." Simon responded "Oh, thanks Tk!" Takeru smiled and cued Simon to follow him towards the concert hall. As they were walking Simon asked "So Tk... Who's this guy that you wanted me to meet?" Takeru casually responded "My older brother Yamato Ishida. Band leader of the Teenage Wolves." Simon seemed quite surprised that Takeru was related to a teenage celebrity in Japan.

"So, Takeru... I gotta ask, how are you two related?" Simon asked Takeru who then answered "Well, he really is my older brother. Though he ended up moving with my dad, and I ended up with my mom. It was a rough time for the two of us. We hardly ever get to see each other, except through Skype calls, Twitter and Facebook chats... And through our phones." Simon felt a bit sorry for Takeru and said "I see... Still sorry for the divorce between your parents... That really must've been hard on you." Takeru shook his head and responded "Well, after a while I did learn to cope with it... But it does help that I've got an even bigger circle of friends... Thanks to you." Simon shrugged his shoulders and said "Well, if you need any help... I'll do my best to help out a friend of mine." Takeru nodded to Simon's statement. They had finally arrived at the concert hall, where it seemed like there wasn't a whole lot of security due to the concert being in a few days rather than today. "Simon, I will have to warn you though... He's a bit stubborn and rough around the edges." Takeru said in advance to Simon.

"So... He's only slightly similar to me correct?" Simon asked in response to Takeru's statement who pondered this and answered "Well... It's not that he's similar to you personality wise... But you two do share those traits with each other." Simon sighed and opened the doors along with Takeru. Inside there were three high schoolers on different positions on the stage, though the one in the center held a guitar and was at the mic stand. He had blonde hair much like Takeru, only his hair seemed to be slightly longer than Takeru's. He wore a black jacket over a grey shirt with the british flag's logo on the center along with tan pants and black sneakers. "Hey Matt! How's it going!?" Takeru yelled to Yamato who seemed quite happy to see Takeru. "Alright guys, I'm gonna have to do some catch up... So I'll be back in a bit." Yamato said to the other band members who then continued to test their instruments. "So, Tk... How's life been treating you?" Yamato asked Takeru who then gave him a bro hug. "Dude, I haven't seen you in forever! And life's been treating me well recently." Takeru responded before turning to Simon.

"This is Simon Ackerman, the guy I've been telling you about." Takeru said introducing Simon to Yamato who looked at Simon with a somewhat bitter expression. "So, he's the pretentious guy you've talked about in school?" Yamato asked Takeru who seemed a bit nervous by what he said. "Well, that's what I thought, but he's a real nice guy I swear!" Takeru said to try stop Yamato. "If you say so Takeru." Yamato said to Takeru before turning to Simon. "And as for you Mr. Ackerman, I'd like you to know one thing... Be grateful that Tk's friends with you..." Yamato said to Simon who responded "Oh we're gonna get along swimmingly..." Takeru then slipped in between the two and suggested "How about, we go to the dressing room? And discuss the egg there?" Simon and Yamato both pondered this and they both said "Fine." Yamato had glared at Simon and then looked at the egg he held in his hands before realizing that that was the egg his little brother was talking about. "Lead the way..." Simon said to Takeru and Yamato who then led Simon to the dressing room in the back...

* * *

In the dressing room, Yamato had brought his guitar and strummed it for a bit. "So, what exactly do you want from me? Free tickets to the concert?" Yamato asked both Simon and Takeru, but Simon responded "No. What I want, is to see if you and this little Digi-Egg are compatable. If not... Then oh well." Yamato then cued Simon to lend him the egg just to see. When Yamato had held the egg... It began to hatch. From the egg came a small red ball with eyes and three projections coming from it's head. It blinked at Yamato, but didn't seem to say anything... Though that's due to the fact that it didn't have a mouth. "Tk... What the hell is this thing?" Yamato asked his younger brother who raised an eyebrow at Yamato's question. "Um... That's a baby Digimon. And Simon has bequethed you the honor of taking care of him." Takeru answered with Patamon giggling at the prospect. "It's not enough to get my brother involved is it? You have to drag me along for the ride don't you?" Yamato asked in anger, remembering Takeru's days as a Digimon Tamer on the news.

"Yamato Ishida. I can assure you, this has nothing to do with TK. And plus, I gave him a choice. You too have the same offer placed in front of you. Either you fight alongside us when you're free... Or you can just brush this whole incident off like it's nothing and take care of him like a house pet." Simon responded to Yamato so matter of factly. Yamato then said "Or I can take option three and say screw you." He then handed Simon the Digimon that was on his lap... Only for it to bounce back to him. "Okay, explain now!" Yamato demanded and Takeru responded "Look Matt, Digimon... When they meet the one who hatched them... They become attached to the person or animal. You know, like how some animals imprint on people when they become the first thing they see. This little guy, has imprinted on you. So like it or not... He's gonna be with you for the rest of your life... Or until he ends up dead." Patamon then added "And don't worry about it. I've been able to protect Tk this whole time, so it's not all bad. Think about it, now you'll have your own little pet to talk to whenever you're feeling insecure." Yamato then glared at Simon but not at Takeru... Though Simon ignored him and focused more on the news that was playing. The news seemed to be describing last week's incident as though it were liable to happen again.

"Channel eight always seems so liberal when it comes to the news... I just wish Channel five had something else to say. And trust me, I looked." Simon said regarding the news that was playing. Yamato then shut off the TV and walked up to Simon before grabbing his shirt collar. "Geez, if you had wanted to kiss me... You could have bought me a drink first." Simon said to Yamato who responded "I don't need a plushie helping me with my insecurities! I'm a seventeen year old in high school, and in a local rock band! And the last thing I need, is you or a Digimon's help!" Simon then pushed Yamato's hand off of his collar and decided to walk out of the dressing room. "Takeru, clearly me and your brother aren't gonna get along... So I'll just leave you two alone with your partners, and discuss things from there. See you tomorrow." Simon said calmly before exiting the room. Yamato then felt even more anger within him, and it wasn't until the Digimon that grew attached to him nudged his knee that he calmed down. He took a deep breath and picked up the small Digimon.

Later, he noticed a dark blue digivice on the table where he had left the little mon. "So, this is the Digivice that you guys talk about... Not bad. Although, I'm a little too busy with my band to even pick up the card game." Yamato said now that he realized that he'd be a Tamer and a band member for the rest of his life. Takeru then recieved a text from Simon that said "Tell Yamato that Knife of Day is the dumbest band name ever." Yamato was curious about the text and Takeru responded by showing him the message on his phone. Yamato sighed and said "Of course he has to get the last laugh. He wouldn't understand anyway." Takeru responded "Yeah, personally I prefer Teenage Wolves. What happened to that whole thing? I don't even recognize any of the new guys." Yamato felt quite disappointed at Takeru's question and answered "We broke up after we got into Sophmore year. There were some disagreements between us, and I thought it was just a minor thing... But then, I felt as though it was slowly getting to me... And I decided that we'd disband. As for the name, me and my new friends thought that it'd be cool to have something that, felt like a cool catch phrase... I'm still keeping the name, but the fact that you share your opinion with that jerk... Makes me feel like I've lost an ally."

Takeru stood up from the stool he was sitting in and responded "Y'know Matt... Both of you can be jerks sometimes. I remember you and Tai didn't get along all that well either, and that was just because you thought he'd be a better brother for me. Well you gotta understand that I only have one brother... And that's you Yamato." The red Digimon seemed to go through a strange change that morphed it into a ball with orange fur, orange eyes, a horn and a mouth. "So... where am I exactly?" The orange sphere asked. Yamato looked at the Digimon and was a bit concerned for it's prior form. "Where did the other Digimon go?" Yamato asked lifting the orange Digimon who responded "Right here. And before you ask, I evolved." Yamato then stared at the small Digimon and Takeru decided to analyze it. "Tsunomon, Data Type, In Training level. Attacks are: Bubble blow and Tackle." Takeru said quoting his Digivice. Patamon had settled down nearby Tsunomon and said "So, you're the new guy huh? I'm Patamon. The guy wearing the hat is TK, or Takeru to most people. And the guy right there with the guitar is Yamato, or Matt."

Tsunomon looked at Yamato and said "You... You must be the reason I evolved. Oh, if only there were a way I could express gratitude like a Koromon would." Yamato raised his eyebrow at the small Digimon and Takeru pondered what he meant... Until Patamon said "So... You'd hug his face?" Tsunomon nodded to Patamon's question... But Yamato and Takeru seemed to express some discomfort with that fact. "What's wrong with face hugging? I though that's the best way we can express affection or gratitude." Tsunomon said confused at the expressions given off by the two. "Tsunomon... I'm not sure if you could handle the movie I'd need to show you, to explain our discomfort with face-hugging." Yamato said to Tsunomon. Takeru and Patamon remembered the movie Yamato was talking about, because Takeru watched it with Patamon during a movie marathon they had. "Hey, Yamato! You coming back anytime soon!?" One of the band members yelled to Yamato. "Alright, I'll be there in a minute." Yamato said before telling Tsunomon to stay in the dressing room. "Don't worry, Tk tells me they don't take long with practice... So you don't even have to wait here for more than fifteen minutes." Patamon said to Tsunomon before flying back on top of Takeru's head.

* * *

After band practice, Yamato had decided to head home for the day... Though like he said to his fellow band members, he was staying with his mother while they got an apartment building to themselves. However, unlike most days he had to bring Tsunomon home with him. "So Yamato... What's home like?" Tsunomon asked his Tamer who pondered the question and responded "Well... Me and my dad live in a apartment within Odaiba, whereas TK and mom live around here." Tsunomon seemed somewhat confused by Yamato's statement and asked "But don't human families normally live together? I thought that this was your home..." Yamato got somewhat somber and responded "Well it was going fine... Until Mom and Dad ended up getting a divorce. We don't know why, but when it happened Dad took me and Mom took TK." Tsunomon felt a bit sad for Yamato and said "Well, I'm sure your parents are both very nice people." Yamato stopped walking and sighed. "Look Tsunomon, I appreciate your concern for me... But I'm fine. It's been quite a bit harder on TK mostly because he didn't get it back then. Nowadays he seems to be doing fine. I honestly can't believe that stupid American is the one who helped him instead of me!"

Tsunomon felt a bit of guilt in him since he was brought in by Simon. "Why do you hate him so much? He hasn't done anything to offend you... Other than that text your brother had said." Tsunomon asked Yamato who then responded "Because he's an over-pretentious perfect pretty boy, with little to no issues whatsoever and acts like everything needs to be about him rather than others! Another thing, is that like I said earlier he was the cause and the solution to most of Takeru's issues when he was having a hard time at school!" Tsunomon felt a little sad upon hearing that. "Oh well, maybe you two won't get along. But I'm sure he's a nice guy deep down." Yamato scoffed at that statement and responded "I highly doubt that. I mean seriously, how in the hell is he capable of leading a team of so many people?! Especially when most of them seem like the type that don't like him!" Yamato had taken a deep breath to calm down and turned to the house that he was walking towards in the first place.

He was greeted by his mother who gave him a hug upon entering the house. She then noticed Tsunomon in Yamato's hands. "Oh! I see you've brought a new friend home!" Natsuko said upon looking at Tsunomon. At dinner, Takeru explained that Tsunomon was a gift that Simon brought to Yamato... Much to his dismay. Natsuko seemed to be a bit happy and sad about this. Happy that, both of her sons have something to talk about other than their daily activities and that this will be good for Yamato. Sad that, now both of her sons will be endangering their lives. Yamato then headed up into the guest room where he unpacked his stuff for the week. And Tsunomon decided to bounce a bit on the guest bed. "So Matt, is that all the things you brought with you from home?" Tsunomon asked Yamato who then pulled out a calender and stuck a thumb tack onto the wall to hang his calender. "Pretty much. Although, one thing's for sure... All of my band mates ask me one thing about Shinjuku while I'm here." Yamato responded to Tsunomon who then asked "And what's that?"

Yamato sighed and responded "To get a picture of the Shadow Tamer or even better... Get his autograph. Which in my opinion is kind of stupid, considering he's only out at night. And he's very illusive." Tsunomon was quite curious about this whole situation and asked "Couldn't you ask people about where this "Shadow Tamer" is liable to be? I mean, what kind of rumors are there about him?" Yamato sighed and answered "The rumors are that he's helpful to Digimon in need, though deadly to Digimon who would destroy the city. He also appears to have a Digimon sidekick with him at all times, and he likes to hang around on rooftops." Tsunomon then pondered all that information and said "Hey, how about tomorrow night, we see where this Shadow Tamer is and get a good picture! Does that sound good enough?" Yamato pondered this and sighed before saying "Oh what the hell. I guess we might as well try that tomorrow." He then decided to go to the bathroom and change into pajamas. He fell asleep with Tsunomon on the nightstand and awaited the next day, where he would get to spend a lot of time with Takeru due to it being a weekend.

* * *

Meanwhile in the Digital World...

TyrantKabuterimon looked over the previous battle that the Tamers had with his soldiers... In the hope that he can gain some new information from this. Though unfortunately, this ended up being fruitless. He saw that, the two new Digimon in the Tamers' growing group have already gained champion form, and more than likely to reach ultimate level by the time he decides to take action. "Sir, I do believe that isn't really a wise decision. Dwelling on these new developments instead of coming up with a new tactic." Okuwamon said to his master who sighed and responded "Well unfortunately, this whole fight ended up gaining me little to no knowledge whatsoever! And the issue I come across now, is that one of my soldiers had supposedly seen the leader of it all..." Okuwamon was somewhat confused and asked "You mean the Shadow Tamer?" TyrantKabuterimon then thought of something... What if he checked on the individual visions of the Kabuterimon, and he did indeed see the Shadow Tamer. What he wasn't expecting however, was the fact that he wasn't taking the threat seriously. TyrantKabuterimon saw this as though he were Yggdrasil just mocking him in front of his face.

TyrantKabuterimon then yelled "He would dare not to take a threat seriously?! He thinks he's so powerful that I'm not even worthy of being acknowledged as such?! I won't stand for this mockery! But I intend to deal with him myself. The others however... They can be dealt with by the other troops within my domain." Okuwamon then stood in front of his master and responded "But sir, wouldn't it be more efficient to go after them one by one by ourselves instead of sending the troops out as fodder? At this point, you're just having them evolve one by one with each and every step! Why don't we just go ourselves?!" TyrantKabuterimon then answered "You really wish to know? It's because I want to save my strength for Yggdrasil. The Tamers are nothing compared to him! His power is intense, unlike any other Digimon you've ever seen. His abilities can influence other Digimon to do his bidding! And it's not exclusive to insect type. It's able to affect all kinds of Vaccine and Data types. Though virus types are a bit of a complication to him."

Okuwamon then asked "Okay, but why are virus types so complicated for this almighty Yggdrasil?" TyrantKabuterimon answered "Well, it's mostly because they have an inherent darkness within them. That darkness makes them go crazy if Yggdrasil tries controlling them, but it wears off after a while. He tried controlling an Impmon once, and that ended in disastrous results. So, as long as he can only control Vaccine and Data Type Digimon... We can exploit that. And yet he seems to have stop trying with our kind." Okuwamon then pondered this statement and said "Well then sir, we'll just send in more troops. That way, we can get the intel on the Digimon Tamers... And then we'll crush them ourselves! Right?" TyrantKabuterimon sighed and responded "It's not like we have much of a choice anyway. That barrier is quite durable, and yet we've only managed a few cracks here and there." Okuwamon then retreated to where he assumed the troops were. TyrantKabuterimon then moved his throne out of the way and headed downwards into a mysterious chamber.

There, he looked upon an insect Digimon that appeared to be even larger than he is... Though he was kept in restraints. He kept on staring at the larger insect and said "Well. At some point Okuwamon is going to end up dead due to those Tamers... Which I don't want since he's one of my strongest besides you. So then, how about helping me when the time comes?" The large insect Digimon looked at his master and said "So... You wish to make me your secret weapon... After all this time of dominion, the almighty TyrantKabuterimon has difficulty with a couple Digimon... How pathetic." TyrantKabuterimon then responded "Well, in that case you won't get any freedom from these chains that have drained your power." The large insect thought about that and asked "Fine. But when will that time come?" TyrantKabuterimon answered "Soon my precious GranKuwagamon... Soon. Just sit there and cool down. I guarantee that you'll be the first one to know when, and if all my plans go to hell. Then, you'll be free to do whatever you want to the Digimon Tamers." TyrantKabuterimon then headed back up the stairs and GranKuwagamon said to himself "He must really be desperate if he needs me that badly... Hehehehehehe. Alright, I'll play your little game for now..."

* * *

Back in the human world...

Yamato Ishida had woken up somewhat early the next morning... And he discovered that the Digimon he left on the nightstand, isn't there anymore. "Tch. I should've known that was my imagination." He said before sitting straight in bed and discovering what appeared to be a bipedal lizard wearing a wolf's pelt. Though that pelt was actually colored two different shades of blue. And his horn appeared to be jutting out of the top of said pelt. "Hello. I ended up evolving last night... And I wanted to wait for you to wake up so you can see this. Do you like it?" The lizard Digimon said to Yamato, who was slowly but steadily reaching for his Digivice to confirm if this was indeed Tsunomon. He scanned the Digimon, and looked through the device which did point to the lizard. "Alright, so you did evolve last night... What's your name?" Yamato asked. "My name is Gabumon. And don't worry, unless I end up taking in too much data I'm not gonna evolve like I did just now. But I do have to ask, what are we gonna do now?" Gabumon responded. Yamato pondered this question and thought of something...

"Well, as long as we're not doing practice today, we should be all good. At least here I'll actually learn how to tame you and all that." Yamato said somewhat cheerfully, to which Gabumon started hopping up and down with enthusiasm. After getting dressed and eating breakfast with Takeru and their mother, the two brothers along with their Digimon headed out to Shinjuku park where Takeru was bringing Patamon before going to help Yamato. Gabumon greeted the other Digimon that spent their time there, including Tentomon who seemed to be in heated game of go fish with Renamon and Impmon. Rika was with her mother at the time, mostly because of mother-daughter bonding time, Nia was out with Simon on a date and Koushiro was busy at his job. Takeru seemed to be quite cheerful due to the fact that, for once he's the one who's gonna be teaching Yamato something. Not the other way around like it used to. "You must really be revelling in this, aren't you TK?" Yamato asked Takeru who nodded while still sporting a smile. "I hope this doesn't blow up in my face."

Takeru then showed him a deck of Digimon cards... To which Yamato was very skeptical about. "These are modify cards. Cards that can increase the stats of Digimon, give temporary enhancements from other Digimon and some can even evolve your partner. Which in this case is Gabumon." Yamato looks through the deck to find the modify cards inside. "TK... When did you even get these?" Yamato asked his younger brother who responded "Well, while you guys were practicing... I scrounged up enough money to get you a deck of cards suited for the Gabumon line." Yamato somewhat surprised by Takeru's knowledge on his Digimon then asked "How did you even know that Tsunomon was part of that line?" Takeru pondered how to respond and answered "Let's just say a little bird told me..." Yamato was a bit confused, until he realized who he was talking about. "Of course, because your little bird knows everything about Digimon right?" Yamato said sarcastically. Takeru sighed and responded "Let's just get this practice over with..."

As Takeru was giving a tutorial on the Digimon card game, Renamon seemed to sense something. "I think we might have to put our game on hold..." Renamon said to the others who were a bit curious by what she meant... Until Tentomon started to sense something with his antennae. "Yeah, no offense Impmon, but we should do what she says." Tentomon said to Impmon who dropped his cards and responded "Eh, it's nothing new so why not?" They looked up to the sky and saw on the rooftops, another cloud of fog. Renamon then thought to herself "Rika..." Before jumping onto the trees to get a better look at the situation. Tentomon flew slowly behind and said "Wait! I can't move as fast as you guys without Izzy!" Impmon then lit a fire in his fingers and fired it up into the air, in the hopes that Simon and Nia would see it as the signal. "And now I wait..." Impmon said before climbing up to the trees and waiting for Nia to show up. Patamon immediately flew to Takeru just to get him caught up on what's going on. He came across Gabumon who seemed to be powering up thanks to a modify card.

"TK, what's Patamon doing here?" Yamato asked regarding Patamon's prescense in the current situation. Takeru then looked up to where his Digimon was pointing and said "We've got work to do." before slashing an evolution card to turn Patamon into Angemon. Takeru had gotten onto Angemon who flew over to the fog on the rooftop. Yamato was even more confused about the situation... Until he and Gabumon saw that Renamon and Tentomon were fighting against a couple wasp-like Digimon. Yamato went to analyze those Digimon which got him some results. "Waspmon, Virus Type, Champion Level. Attacks are: Turbo Stinger and Bear Buster." Yamato said quoting his Digivice. There seemed to be three Waspmon, with one taking on Renamon and Tentomon, another taking on Angemon, and one that seemed to headed towards him. "Matt! Slash me a speed card!" Gabumon said after finishing his power up, and Yamato did as he suggested. Gabumon managed to narrowly dodge Waspmon, before he even hit him. Gabumon then attacked Waspmon with a beam that came out of his mouth. It hit the Waspmon directly...

But it seemed as though he were quite durable compared to Gabumon. Waspmon then fired a rapid fire barrage at Gabumon who narrowly avoided each blast, while Yamato was looking through the deck to find another power up card to use on Gabumon. Suddenly, the Waspmon then fired another blast at the ground nearby Gabumon which sent him flying towards a nearby tree from the resulting shockwave. Angemon and Takeru looked down at Yamato and Gabumon, but unfortunately preoccupied with their Waspmon to go down and help. "Yamato! Use an Evolution card!" Takeru yelled to Yamato who was quite confused since he couldn't find an evolution card in the deck. He frantically looked around the deck while worrying about Gabumon at the same time. Meanwhile, Renamon and Tentomon were still having issues countering their Waspmon's attacks, while Impmon was still anxiously waiting for Nia to appear. Impmon's prayers were answered by Simon and Nia's arrival and he said "The guys need help! You got any ammo for me!?" Nia then slashed an evolution card for Impmon to become Wizardmon. He then flew up to help Renamon and Tentomon.

Yamato had still been searching through the deck for an evolution card... And he was slowly thinking his brother rigged his deck just to mess with him. Suddenly, one of the cards Yamato acquired in his hand turned into an evolution card. He looked closely at said card, and he then suddenly understood that he needed to want the card in order for it to appear in his deck. He looked closely at Gabumon who seemed to be struggling to get up and thought to slash the card now. "Gabumon! It's time to evolve to your next level!" Yamato yelled to his partner who nodded and responded "I hope you're ready for this!"

 **Card Slash! Evolution Activate!**

 **EVOLUTION._**

 **Gabumon Evolve to...**

Gabumon had changed into a quadroped wolf/tiger mix that appeared to have two tips on it's tail and had the Blue stipes on it's fur. Though now, he seemed to be a bit more intimidating than the timid form prior.

 **Garurumon!**

Garurumon then pounced onto Waspmon who ended up firing his beam directly into the sky... Which didn't even hit anything. He then jumped away from Waspmon while saying " **Howling blaster!** " And shooting a blue beam of fire directly at it. Yamato then analyzed his partner's new form. "Garurumon, Data Type, Champion Level. Attacks are: Howling Blaster and Slamming attack." He said quoting his Digivice. Garurumon was strategically dodging Waspmon's attacks and pouncing at him at the right times. The Waspmon seemed to not be able to control where his next shot would go, due to him not being able to focus... And the build up from the charging caused him to destroy the stinger. Garurumon then pounced on him and bit down on it's head. The Waspmon then exploded into data and Garurumon howled in triumph. Yamato felt somewhat scared, but proud of his partner. He got onto Garurumon's back and went to help Takeru with his Waspmon. However, when he got there Angemon had already used his Heaven's Knuckle to destroy Waspmon. Meanwhile, Wizardmon had gotten with Renamon and Tentomon. Together they were able to combine their attacks and destroy the Waspmon.

Simon saw how things were going and Nia noticed he was shuddering a little. "Simon, what's wrong? They're just some average Digimon?" Nia asked out of concern. "Nia, let's just say that I don't like bees." Simon answered Nia. Yamato and Garurumon came down after hearing that and Yamato asked sarcastically "Oh why? Because they're so yellow or scary?" Simon shook his head and responded "First of all, I don't hate the color yellow. Otherwise I'd be quite bitter towards Renamon. Second, Bees are probably one the species of insects known for killing people! So forgive me if I'm a little concerned if I'm allergic thank you very much!" Yamato then felt a little bit of guilt and asked "Seriously though, how am I gonna get Garurumon back into Gabumon before I go home?" Takeru and Angemon came down next, before Angemon changed back into Patamon. "Well Yamato, we should probably see if he can stand on one of either of those sets of legs." Yamato was quite skeptical... Until he saw Garurumon actually standing on his front paws. "This will probably turn him back into Gabumon, but we're gonna stay here just to make sure." Yamato nodded to Takeru's statement and they decided to wait for Garurumon to de-evolve...

 **It would appear that all loose ends regarding the recent Digimon have been tied. However, what terrors will TyrantKabuterimon inflict on the team? How will Simon and co. handle these attacks? Find out next time, on Digimon Tamers Crimson: Knights of Grim!**


	16. Crouching Wasp, Hidden Dragon

The Following is a non-profit Fanfiction. Digimon is owned by Toei Animation, Bandai, Akiyoshi Hongo and licensed by Saban Brands. Please support the official release, by buying the DVDs.

Digimon Tamers Crimson: Knights of Grim: Episode 16: Crouching Wasp, Hidden Dragon.

While Takeru and Yamato were spending time with each other, and dealing with some Waspmon along the way... Daisuke and Ken had been pondering about what to do with their individual Digimon. After the battle with the Royal Knights, the two realized that, they needed seperate mega forms from each other so that they don't feel powerless when a Mega Level or Ultra Level comes around and one of them isn't present for that battle. Though they may have tried training against some wild Digimon that had decided to make appearances in Shinjuku... And resort to absorbing their data so that they can attempt to get new Ultimate forms for themselves. Despite their Champion forms being powerful, they needed new Ultimate forms to even start their evolution paths. But to them, it always seemed like that there was no other way but to be together at all times. Which at this point in time was a major inconvenience. As they wander around Shinjuku, they came across what appeared to be another wild Digimon that came in front of them.

"Well Daisuke, now's as good a time as any!" Ken said pulling out his Digivice with Wormmon jumping off his shoulders and V-Mon taking a stance with his friend. Daisuke also pulled out his Digivice and prepared to fight the Digimon... Only for it to end up destroyed by what appeared to be a red fire ball. The attacker in question was a Digimon that appeared to have red feathers from the waist down, but white feathers almost everywhere else. Though it seemed to have a visor that covered it's face and had a helmet on it's head... That seemed to cover every part except for his hair on the very back. He seemed very humanoid compared to most bird-like Digimon in the world. Daisuke proceeded to analyze the Digimon in front of them. "Silphymon, Free Type, Ultimate Level. Attacks are: Top Gun and Dual Sonic." Daisuke said quoting his Digivice.

Another person appeared to be behind Silphymon who said "Annoyances to no end as usual. I wonder why Simon won't listen to your idea..." However, as Silphymon was talking to the person... Daisuke and Ken recognized the person from the red hair on his head. The person then responded to Silphymon "Well, that's Simon for ya, but we're not here to deal with needy habits. Keep your eyes and ears open, that sound could ring at any minute." Both Daisuke and Ken said at the same time "Emir!" Which caught the young man by surprise but he turned and waved to the duo. "Long time no see you guys! How are things?" Emir asked the duo which then approached him and Silphymon. "We've been doing pretty well Emir! Keeping up with all these wild Digimon that have been appearing... And although we really don't like to admit it." Daisuke started and Ken finished saying "But we need your help. Though Simon may know a lot about Digimon, you seem to know quite a lot more and we really need some helpful tips."

Emir then tilted his head out of curiosity and asked "So you two wish to know more about Digimon right?" Daisuke then answered "We want to know how you got Silphymon instead of Crowmon for Hawkmon's Ultimate form." Ken added "The last time we saw you, you had Ravemon as your mega level... But seeing Silphymon actually told us that, you might know something about evolving our Digimon into different forms rather than our normal evolutions for these little guys." As the Tamers were chatting, V-Mon and Wormmon were both looking in somewhat awe at Silphymon who was a bit confused by the awestruck expressions, due to them being at mega level long before him. "Alright, what line of evolution do your partners go to by default?" Emir asked both Daisuke and Ken, but V-Mon responded "We end up going through the Imperialdramon line!" Emir sighed and said "Oh boy, this is gonna be a long talk..." He then lead Daisuke and Ken to an isolated area of Shinjuku park, away from Simon and co. so he can explan this. Though as they were walking, one question popped into Daisuke and Ken's minds...

"Emir, what are you even doing in Shinjuku anyway?" Daisuke asked out of curiosity as to why he could be here right at this very point in time. "Yeah, I mean... Don't you have anything better to do? Like preparing for Bagramon's invasion and helping Xros Heart?" Ken added to the question... To which Emir merely responded "I was looking for some groceries." Both Daisuke and Ken were expressing some confusion, and looked at each other with the same level of skepticism on their faces. "That can't be it. Usually it's something to do with a guy you know here in Japan like Simon told us... Or you actually want to challenge him to a fight because you two got into an argument or something." Ken pointed out. Emir then responded "Okay fine, I'm here to find the ice cream man who makes sea salt ice cream." This made the duo raise an eyebrow in confusion to Emir's reasoning. "I gotta get that secret ingredient so that I can make my own. And I'm not leaving Shinjuku until I get this matter solved!" Emir explained to Daisuke and Ken who were further confused by Emir's reasoning.

Ken then whispered to Daisuke "Do you think we should tell him where Simon actually gets sea salt ice cream?" Daisuke thought about that question and whispered back "Nah, it's better if he finds it on his own." Ken was a bit surprised by Daisuke's willingness to not help Emir. "I guess Simon's rubbed off on me in some way." Daisuke said somewhat absent-mindedly. Emir didn't really know what he meant, but he said "Anyway, since you're looking for alternate evolutions for V-Mon and Wormmon, I've compiled a list of Digimon they can evolve into... With a star above the recommended line." Before he could tell them about said lines... Emir and Silphymon both heard the sound of a ice cream truck headed around town. "Right now, me and Migi have got a truck to chase! C'mon Migi!" Silphymon shrugged and said "Emir decided to give me a name rather than just Hawkmon or any of my evolved forms. So he calls me Migi." Before flying up to the rooftops to corner said truck...

* * *

Daisuke and Ken looked over the alternate evolution choices for V-Mon and Wormmon. Unfortunately, they seemed to be displeased by what they were given. Ken looked over at the Kuwagamon line, and was uncomfortable with each form due to having fought quite a few of these. He then noticed a star marked by the Waspmon line, and in that star he noticed a little tip above it. The tip said "This line requires a lot of Machine type Digimon which, if you're lucky might appear often." Ken sighed and accepted that path. However, Daisuke was disappointed in the fact that... There's only one other line of V-Mon forms in the whole thing. "Ken, we haven't even fought that Royal knight yet!" Daisuke said pointing to the UlforceVeedramon at the end of the line and Ken nodded responding "Well Daisuke, I don't really like my choices either. But at least yours ends up earning you a Royal Knight." Daisuke sighed and said "Well, I guess it's still better than nothing... But we still get to use Imperialdramon whenever right?" Ken nodded to Daisuke's statement and they would ponder how and when to find other Digimon to help them.

Simon then came across the two and asked "So what's going on guys?" Daisuke and Ken turned to face Simon and V-Mon said "We're gonna be trying new evolutions out so that we don't rely on Imperialdramon all the time." Daisuke seemed a bit angry at V-Mon for revealing the plan and Simon responded "Oh... So that explains why you guys haven't been present during the recent bug extermination." Ken then approached Simon and said "Well, Emir actually gave us the data that he marked for the Digimon themselves..." Simon looked it over and responded "Honestly I can't really argue against his data... But I will ask, why is he even here?" Daisuke perked up and answered "Well, he said he was going grocery shopping, when he's actually out looking for the ice cream truck." Simon face palmed and said "Oh that poor boy. He never even thought to go to the ice cream stand nearby Shinjuku Park. They sell sea salt ice cream all the time there. I'm guessing he wants the recipe right?" The duo nodded to Simon's question and they walked around Shinjuku park for a bit...

They then came across Yamato and Takeru, still staring at Garurumon while he tries to de-evolve. Yamato was starting to lose patience, but Takeru had offered him some candy that he bought along with the cards. "So TK, this is the famous Yamato Ishida of Knife of Day..." Daisuke said to Takeru who then introduced him and Ken to Yamato. "Now that everyone's almost acquainted with everyone, how about we get down to what's going on right now. From what I can tell, there are more insect type Digimon coming into this world than most other wild Digimon I've seen in my day... So I can only assume there's someone other than Yggdrasil playing puppet master." Daisuke, Ken and Takeru all sighed in annoyance at the same time. Yamato was somewhat confused and asked "Okay, how many bad guys do you guys even fight?" Takeru then responded "We've fought against Daemon, Vamdemon and his posse as well as the Royal Knights and now there's Bagramon and last but not least Yggdrasil and that mysterious master that Simon told us about after his fight against Omnimon."

The moment Takeru mentioned Omnimon, something clicked in Garurumon's mind and he stopped handstanding on the tree and jumped up to the rooftops. Simon and co. had noticed this and followed Garurumon's path. "Garurumon! Where are you going!?" Yamato yelled to his Digimon who kept on jumping the rooftops until he came across the apartment complex. Simon and the others saw that Garurumon was looking at the building, but not doing anything. "Hey V-Mon, why do you think Garurumon started jumping?" Daisuke asked his partner who responded "I think he's looking for an Agumon." Yamato was confused by this and asked "Okay... But why would he come here?" Takeru then added "Taichi's Agumon can't even turn into WarGreymon! So why even seek him out at all!?" V-Mon then pondered both questions and responded "I guess there might be a need for a new Omnimon. One that isn't made from the same two mega forms. But something that is an improvement to the prior forms." Ken was also quite confused at this whole scenario. But then Simon called Taichi's apartment on his cell phone.

Though of course Yuko ended up answering the phone instead of Taichi or Hikari. "Could you tell Tai and Agumon to come to the rooftop? It's kind of important." Simon asked Yuko. On the other end, Yuko responded "Well, as long as they're back in a few minutes, that's fine." Simon sighed in relief and hung up the phone. He then took out a pair of binoculars and looked up to Taichi and Agumon who had just gotten up there. Garurumon jumped to the nearby rooftop and said "So, it would appear that I need to evolve even further if we are to become one..." Taichi was quite confused along with Agumon who asked "Now, how are we supposed to become one? I've already combined with both Taichi and Shoutmon at one point. So why would I need to combine with you?" Garurumon sighed and answered "It's because... You and I have improved evolutions over our previous forms. Though that was a different Agumon. This time... I intend on gaining a new power and defeating Yggdrasil." He then suddenly snapped out of whatever brought him here, and de-evolved into Gabumon.

"Hey! Are you alright?!" Agumon asked out of concern and Taichi pulled out his phone and called Simon. "Yeah, Simon... I'm gonna need a full recap on what the hell just happened." Taichi said to Simon who responded "Well... Just wait there and we'll explain everything." After the gang had climbed up to Taichi and Agumon, they gave a full recap as to why Garurumon wanted to meet with Agumon and whatnot. "So let me get this straight... Not only is Yamato back here again, which by the way nice to see you again buddy." Yamato nodded and responded "Likewise Taichi." Taichi then continued saying "And now, his Gabumon is somehow bound to combine with Agumon one day?" Everyone nodded at the same time and Taichi looked over to Daisuke and Ken before saying "And to think that whole scenario started with a few bugs and you guys trying to find new evolutions for your partners." Daisuke then approached Taichi and responded "Well, what do you think we should do?" Taichi sighed and answered "Well... I guess a training montage couldn't hurt..." Daisuke and Ken were both confused by what Taichi meant and Simon said "A training montage is basically a compilation of intense training... Without showing every minor detail in the process..."

Takeru sighed and said "Alright, I'll go with them..." Before slashing a blue card for Patamon to evolve into MagnaAngemon. "Wait, you're really gonna leave? Isn't mom expecting us to be home right now!?" Yamato asked out of concern... But then Takeru, Daisuke and Ken all texted their parents and/or Jun in Daisuke's case after the question came about. "Oh, so you're just simply gonna text mom and tell her what you're doing and she'll just say yes?" Yamato asked sarcastically... Until Takeru recieved a text that told him to simply be careful and come back soon. Yamato then face palmed at that text and said "Of course. Well in that case, how about I go with you to wherever it is that you go to." They then turned to Yamato and Takeru then asked "You sure you want to go to the Digital World?" Yamato nodded and answered "Well, if you guys made it back so easily... I don't see why not." Taichi then went up to Yamato and said "I've been in the Digital World for five years! I didn't get back home until Simon, his posse and Hikari came along and I've had to go through all kinds of hell!" Simon rolled up his sleeve and added "I lost my metal prosthetic in the Digital World because of some psychopath, and I still have bitter memories of all the fights we went through."

Daisuke then added "The point is... It's not a place for someone who's just got a Champion level Digimon to fight with him. So it's better if you leave it to the professionals." He then turned back to Ken and their partners. MagnaAngemon opened a portal to the Digital World and cued the others to go into the portal. Yamato had decided to rush into the portal with Gabumon in his arms... With Taichi and Agumon giving chase. Takeru, Daisuke, Ken and their partners shrugged this off and went through the portal themselves. After the portal closed, Simon seemed to just be sitting down pondering what exactly the Digital World is like after two months. Guilmon came up to the rooftop and said "So Mrs. Kamiya was coming to your room and she wanted to know where Tai was..." Simon sighed and decided he and Guilmon were gonna be the ones to explain this to Yuko. After they went to see her, she seemed a bit understanding... Due to being aware of the amount of time that passes in the Digital World compared to the real world. Although, Hikari on the other hand... Expressed worry over both Daisuke and Taichi once again being in the Digital World.

* * *

In the Digital Space...

Daisuke and co. were in the area before the Digital World. He then said "Okay, so when I point down... we evolve V-Mon and Wormmon. Got it?" Ken nodded and MagnaAngemon grabbed Takeru out of necessity. Taichi then prepared a card for Agumon to evolve into GeoGreymon. Yamato meanwhile, was a bit out of the loop and was curious as to why everyone was prepared for the worst. Daisuke pointed downwards and everyone started falling downwards... XV-Mon had caught Daisuke, Stingmon caught Ken, MagnaAngemon ended up with both Takeru and Yamato in his hands due to Gabumon still being unconscious, and GeoGreymon waited for Taichi to fall onto his back... Which he did so. "Well, at least you're soft GeoGreymon." Taichi said to his partner who responded "You're welcome Taichi. But now, I finally feel a rush coming to me." XV-Mon then approached GeoGreymon and said "No going off on us, okay! We stick together!" Yamato was quite surprised as to how barren the Digital World was in comparison to the real world. "So... This is where all Digimon come from?" Yamato asked regarding the current area.

"Nah. This is just one of the areas in the Digital World. The Digital World is divided into different sections, here is supposed to be the mountain/desert area. There's a volcano area with some hot springs, an ocean sector that we haven't really touched upon. A hub area that looks like a large city, a forest sector with a large amount of really tall trees, An industrial sector which I'm not sure if that's repaired and the Sovereign sector." Takeru answered Yamato who was trying to process all that information at once. Taichi then got onto GeoGreymon's back as he walked towards wherever they'd go for Daisuke and Ken's training. Daisuke and Ken stuck to XV-Mon and Stingmon, while MagnaAngemon let Takeru walk with Yamato on his own. He wasn't worried about his own stamina due to lasting long enough against a NeoDevimon to still conjure a portal. Although, he'd still be the most powerful asset besides GeoGreymon due to them being the only ones with current Mega forms... While Daisuke and Ken only have Imperialdramon, which is a form they can get, but only if they stick together.

After a bit of traveling, they have arrived at the hub area where... It seemed as though it was much bigger than the last time they were there. It now appeared to be getting to Tokyo's size, but only covering one district's size. The Digimon had decided to de-evolve to restore their stamina. They had decided to stop in to visit the Blacksmith of the hub area, in the hopes that he's still there. Inside lied Vulcanusmon, who seemed to be doing some more forging... But for a different purpose. The sword he was working on appeared to be a three foot long, double edged blade. "Ah, it appears that I have some visitors! Come on in!" Vulcanusmon said with enthusiasm and continued forging. However, he seemed to be noticably alone. "So... Where's Datamon?" Taichi asked Vulcanusmon who then put the blade into the cold water nearby, before cueing someone to appear. "Who's Datamon?" Yamato asked the group. Daisuke then responded "He's a Digimon who's Vulcanusmon's apprentice. He's the one who built the guns that Nia uses currently, and helped rebuild a good friend of Gallantmon."

This only served to further confuse Yamato. However, when Ken tried to help explain further... Something that wasn't Datamon appeared from behind the curtain. He seemed to have somewhat long metal tentacles and a head that looked like a large corn cob. Though one of these tentacles held a laser on it. "Oh, I didn't think that the Digimon Tamers would make a return! And what's this? A new face? I never thought that there'd be more of you!" The large Digimon said to all of the tamers. Though before any of them could make a move, Vulcanusmon said "Don't worry! He's just evolved into EBEmon. And so far he's been even more helpful than before!" EBEmon then bowed in respect to the tamers currently present and said "Well, it was because of you guys that I thought to try even harder than ever before! But I told Vulcanusmon that, I needed to become stronger on my own. So I went and trained in the newly rebuilt industrial sector. There, I was able to participate in duels against other machine type Digimon. Though, with my analytical abilities I was able to surpass almost all of them." Ken then asked "What do you mean almost all of them?" EBEmon then answered "The only one who was able to beat me... Is HiAndromon. The new ruler of the Industrial sector."

Daisuke and Ken felt that they should participate in a colisseum battle in order to evolve their partners even further. So they asked EBEmon "Is the industrial sector still where it was?" EBEmon then answered "Yes, it's still a little bit past the hub zone. In fact, I'll help you get there." Yamato then said "Alright, now answer this question: How are you gonna get us there?" EBEmon then unveiled his latest invention in front of the Tamers. "This is my artificial data stream! Normally these would only take you to a random area... Or even the human world. However, I recalibrated the Data stream to take you to the industrial sector and back. Now step inside..." EBEmon said regarding his invention and the Tamers then proceeded to enter the machine. "Well at least it's not cramped in here." V-Mon said regarding the current scenario and Agumon responded "Yeah, well you have your tamer to carry you wherever. I refuse to be carried by anyone unless I revert into Koromon." Gabumon was starting to regain consciousness, but as he was doing so the machine was active and they were teleported to the Industrial sector.

Vulcanusmon continued his work on the blade that he was forging, while EBEmon moved up to his master and asked "So... Is there any welding I can do right now?" Vulcanusmon shook his head and responded "There's no need. But I will let you know as soon as possible." EBEmon then nodded with enthusiasm and sat back to watch. "Master... Are you proud of me? For seeking out a new form... Just for helping you out further?" EBEmon asked somewhat nervously to Vulcanusmon who looked at him and said "There were likely a lot of things you could have done. You could have gone on to the industrial sector and aimed to be the strongest... But instead, you stay here instead of what probably was your home." EBEmon then looked back at Vulcanusmon and responded "Master... This is my home. My whole life was spent helping you with your smithing works, and inventing new ways to help you out every day. And that's how I wish to spend the rest of my life... Helping the one who gave me a path to follow." Vulcanusmon then said "Thank you my friend." EBEmon then added "Plus, the only positive I could possibly think of being in that area is QueenChessmon but that's not something I care about." Vulcanusmon sighed at the moment being ruined.

* * *

Meanwhile...

Daisuke and co. ended up in a room with the teleporter and noticed that the room was quite empty, except for a desk that contained what appeared to be blueprints of some kind. "So... I'm guessing these are the blueprints for this portal thing right?" Takeru asked to the others who just assumed his suspicions were correct. Though for Yamato, he felt a little disoriented due to the teleportation. Gabumon noticed this and immediately got out of his grasp. "Matt, you okay? And where are we?" Gabumon asked both his Tamer and the others. Yamato then answered "This is the second time I've been teleported to some weird dimension today, so try to understand that I might be a tad bit woozy. And secondly, we're in the Digital World." Gabumon then decided to take in his surroundings, and noticed they were in the empty room of EBEmon. "So... When are we gonna leave?" Agumon asked before the others decided to finally open the door that led to the outside. And out there... Was a surprisingly bustling city filled with machine type Digimon doing mundane tasks to keep the city going. As they walked around, each of the machine type Digimon looked closely and examined the humans and their partners wandering around.

One bulky looking Digimon that was just about their height, but likely heavier than all of them combined stepped in front of them and said "Welcome to the Industrial Sector! Where we are expanding in a large environment, thanks to our supporters from the hub sector! Now then, if you would kindly identify yourselves, I can register you in our database!" Taichi then scanned the bulky Digimon. "Guardromon, Virus Type, Champion Level. Attacks are: Destruction Grenade and Warning Laser." Taichi said quoting his Digivice. Daisuke went first saying "My name is Daisuke Motomiya and this is my partner V-Mon." Guardromon then did a full scan on Daisuke and his eyes went through a very brief loading screen. "All done, next!" Guardromon said to Daisuke, telling him to move aside for scanning the others. He then finished with Yamato and Gabumon before saying "Now then, if you'll excuse me... I must report to HiAndromon of your prescense. So please don't go anywhere." He then hovered above the ground and headed towards the center of the sector. Taichi then started to feel a little bad for all the machine Digimon within the area...

Guardromon then approached a black android that appeared to have red and blue shoulder pads. This was HiAndromon, the ruler of the Industrial sector. "What is it Guardromon?" HiAndromon asked his subordinate who then answered "Sir... The Digimon Tamers who saved this world have come. But only a handful of them that were in the records from the hub." HiAndromon then booted up the system linked to his moniter. "So, it seems we have one new Tamer... But one of them was here the day this sector was destroyed. Bring them here... I wish to speak to the one with the Agumon." HiAndromon said after analyzing each of the Tamers shown onscreen. Guardromon then saluted HiAndromon and flew back towards where Daisuke and co. were. HiAndromon then sat down on his throne and pondered something. As he was doing that, another Digimon came in that looked quite feminine... Though she seemed to be quite similar to Ophanimon in terms of appearance, only there's not a single bit of exposed skin on her. She had pink pieces of armor over her metal body, had a golden mask over her eyes and a pink crown. She carried around a large metal hammer with a heart below the surprisingly small head, and her pink cape flowed behind her as she walked.

"So... I take it that some of the famous "Digimon Tamers" have arrived in this sector. Otherwise, you wouldn't have the database opened up for everyone in this facility to see..." She said to HiAndromon who responded "Yes QueenChessmon, they are in fact the Digimon Tamers that we've been informed about. Though one of them intrigues me..." QueenChessmon looked at all the names listed and asked "Which one? They all seem to be intriguing in some way." HiAndromon points to the picture of Taichi and QueenChessmon then ponders why. "He was seen in the sector when Machindramon decided to destroy it. I'm curious as to his strength. And if he's one of the three to contibute to Machinedramon's death..." QueenChessmon somewhat perked up to HiAndromon's statement and says "I see, so that's why you're inviting him. And I'm assuming these Tamers are participating in the coliseum battles this time around?" HiAndromon nods with a smirk on his face to confirm those suspicions. "Have you taken the precautions to test the drones out? I merely wish to make sure that they are prepared for training Digimon..." QueenChessmon leaves with a smirk on her face as well...

* * *

Daisuke and co. seemed to be sitting around and doing nothing, since Guardromon had ordered them to stay put. Yamato was unsurprisingly getting annoyed by the lack of things happening, Taichi was still looking at the whole area and remembering what happened a few months ago. And Daisuke, Takeru and Ken were sitting around playing rock paper scissors. Guardromon had finally returned with a message to the Tamers. "HiAndromon has requested your prescense within his facility... And that you all participate in the coliseum battles." Guardromon said to the group who seemed a bit surprised at the message itself and they followed the robot towards the center of the area. Inside, they were greeted by HiAndromon who turned to welcome them. "I thank you for taking time out of your schedule to come to this newly rebuilt area... Digimon Tamers. I am HiAndromon, the ruler of the Industrial Sector." Taichi was a bit relieved that the ruler of the area wasn't mad at him for the destruction of the whole sector. "My name is Taichi Kamiya, and this is my partner Agumon." Taichi said introducing himself and his partner. HiAndromon then said "I'm aware of who each of you are..."

He then pointed to the other Digimon Tamers listing them off one by one. "You're Daisuke Motomiya and V-Mon. Ken Ichijouji and Wormmon. Takeru Takaishi and Patamon. And our newest Tamer/Digimon pairing, Yamato Ishida and Gabumon." He said going through the list of names that he recorded. "Wait... How am I already in this system?" Yamato asked regarding the whole scenario. "Relax young human. Our scanners gather all the information on each of you through your data." Yamato raised an eyebrow at HiAndromon's statement and Takeru said "Because we're in the Digital World, all of us are now made of data rather than flesh and blood. Though, in Simon's case he was already part data to begin with." Yamato then responded "Of course, we gotta find some way to make it about your "Fearless Leader" huh? Tell me TK, does Simon have any flaws at all?" Takeru then responded "Well... He sucks at basketball, is a jack of all trades but master of none, He didn't have the best judgement skills when it came to friendship... And of course there's my personal favorite, being a bit over the top at times."

The others weren't really all that shocked about Takeru's answer to Yamato's sarcastic question. But Yamato then sighed and said "I give up..." While Gabumon was trying to cheer him up. Daisuke then said "That's an interesting response to sarcasm." Takeru responded "Well, you've known him longer than I have... So even you gotta admit he's not perfect." Daisuke shrugged his shoulders and brought his attention back to HiAndromon. "Now then, if you're done arguing amongst yourselves... I wish to test your strength." HiAndromon said to each of the Tamers and Taichi asked "So... How are we gonna do that?" HiAndromon smirked a bit and responded "I'm glad you asked, Mr. Kamiya. You see, we have some drones with Machine type Digimon data that we'd like to test out. They're meant to be defense drones to protect this sector from any and all attacks from the outside... However, we can't determine how strong they are just based on the data we've put into them. We need an organic method of testing them. So, I've decided to pit you tamers against these drones and see how well you do." Ken raised his hand and asked "So, do we get to determine who fights these things first?"

HiAndromon then pondered the answer to that question and said "Oh, but of course! It should be fair to decide among yourselves! But then again, I think that these battles will be good for you and your overall team." Daisuke and Ken looked at one another and gave a nod of agreement. "We'd like to go first HiAndromon!" Daisuke said in quite a bit of excitement. HiAndromon then pushed a button that took the entire facility underground. The others seemed to be a bit unsteady due to the sudden movement... But they adjusted to it, just before it reached the bottom. There, lied a large coliseum... Almost traditional to most gladiators, though large enough for Digimon Champion Level or stronger to participate in. The drones seemed to be small spheres of data surrounded by a small amount of chrome Digizoid. Daisuke and Ken then went into the coliseum with Taichi, Yamato, Takeru and their partners being spectators in their seats. The duo then evolved their Digimon to their champion level forms in order to prepare for the battle. HiAndromon, sitting next to QueenChessmon activated the drones which then proceeded to scan XV-Mon and Stingmon...

* * *

"Huh? What's going on!?" XV-Mon asked noticing the scanning procedure the drones have started. They then turned into machine like copies of XV-Mon and Stingmon. "Hey! XV-Mon, I think that drone just stole your look!" Daisuke pointed out noticing their opponent's current appearance. XV-Mon and Stingmon took up fighting stances against these drones who then charged at the two. HiAndromon was watching the fight with much anticipation, hoping that it'd be just like some of the battles he'd heard about. Meanwhile, Taichi and Yamato had left the arena... Since Taichi wanted to bring Yamato up to speed with the Digimon's evolved forms. As the fight was going on... It seemed that the drones had gained an overall advantage against XV-Mon and Stingmon's tactics. That ultimately led to the Champion levels being beaten by the drones. "V-Mon/Wormmon!" Daisuke and Ken yelled to their partners who de-evolved back into their rookie forms. HiAndromon seemed quite disappointed in the Tamer's defeat and said "It would appear that teamwork wasn't enough in this fight."

QueenChessmon then added "But, I think it's worth giving them a fighting chance... What say you Tamers? Will you participate in the upcoming tournament? Or are you that willing to accepting defeat?" Daisuke looks down at V-Mon and says "Hey, we'll get em next time buddy! Besides, I think we might actually have a chance in this tournament that they're talking about." Ken then picked up Wormmon and said "We accept this challenge! But I have to ask... Why us? Why not Taichi and Xros Heart?" HiAndromon then gets up and responds "Because I have reservations for them. And the fact that Taichi Kamiya and Yamato Ishida are out training. I will wait until they are done before I make any further judgement." Daisuke and Ken then shrugged their shoulders and watched as HiAndromon left. Takeru then came down from the stands and said "Okay, this whole thing just sucked! I mean... Why didn't you guys go straight to Imperialdramon when it came down to it!?" Daisuke sighed and responded "We're trying to get stronger separately. That way, if one of us ends up incapacitated... Then the other can come in and do the job just as good if not maybe better." Takeru sighs with some acceptance and then says "That's fine and dandy, but you guys should've decimated those bots!"

Ken sighs and responds "They were not only able to read our Digimon's abilities... But also their attack patterns and whatnot." Takeru then says "Okay then, but don't you dare lose this tournament guys! Because I didn't come here to watch you guys get your asses kicked!" He then returns to the stands where it seems as though more machine Digimon seemed to be piling on the stands nearby Takeru. "Aw dammit... I knew I should've gone with Taichi and Yamato..." QueenChessmon came up to Daisuke and Ken before using a healing device to rejuvinate V-Mon and Wormmon. "Now then, this tournament's gonna consist of several Digimon more than willing to beat you down. So remember, don't die on us and win each and every round." QueenChessmon said to the duo who nodded in agreement. After what appeared to be many rounds, V-Mon and Wormmon appeared to be unstoppable... Until the final round came about. QueenChessmon then went up to the mic stand and said "Though this tournament may have been brief, I would like to thank you all for coming. In this corner, V-Mon and Wormmon of the Digimon Tamers!"

Each of the denizens of the Industrial sector started applauding the two Digimon, however... One dark looking Digimon appeared on the other side of the coliseum. "I need no introduction of my prescense. My name, is AvengeKidmon. And I have come here just to put an end to my opposition. Although, my partner is..." AvengeKidmon who seemed to have guns for legs and arms, as well as having black armor and wings explained before being accompanyed by another Digimon who appeared to have a robotic right arm, a helmet that obscures his entire face, a scarf and an appearance that suggested he was from a sentai show. "Greetings! Allow me to tell you my name! I am... He who does not allow evil! The champion of Justice! The Great Justimon!" Justimon said as he struck a pose. Everyone in the stadium were quite confused to what Justimon's shtick is... And AvengeKidmon gave him a scowl that told him "Really?" He then got back to focusing on V-Mon and Wormmon. QueenChessmon then gave the signal for both sides to fight one another. AvengeKidmon then struck out his leg which shot a bullet in between both Digimon.

Daisuke and Ken both evolved their Digimon into their champion forms. XV-Mon decided to go for AvengeKidmon while Stingmon went after Justimon. Justimon then dodged Stingmon's attack and proceeded to make a spinning motion in midair to attack Stingmon's torso while saying " **Justice Kick!** " The attack seemed to do a bit of a number on Stingmon, though he was still able to stay in his form due to his experience as a Champion level. XV-Mon was then quickly stabbed by AvengeKidmon's gun leg... Which surprisingly didn't do any damage. Stingmon didn't notice this when trying to charge at AvengeKidmon with his poison blades... Only to end up with the same result. However, Justimon then set them up by changing his arm into a larger arm. " **Thunderclap!** " He said as he tore the ground around the Digimon asunder. This sent XV-Mon and Stingmon into the air, in which AvengeKidmon then jumped on them and stomped the two into the ground. " **Destruction Trigger!** " He said as the attack had nearly decimated the duo. V-Mon and Wormmon seemed to barely come out of that one alive. Daisuke and Ken were both very concerned for their Digimon. "Ken, we gotta do something! If we have the power to get to those new forms... We should take advantage of it now!" Daisuke said to Ken who then nodded and they both slashed an evolution card. However, they noticed that their Digivices both had a message on it saying "New branch discovered..." They both seemed to get excited for it and both Digimon felt a sudden burst of energy flow through them.

 **EVOLUTION._**

 **V-Mon Evolve to...**

V-Mon then changed into what appeared to be a somewhat shorter version of XV-Mon, only the wings were slightly shorter and he was a more dark blue than light blue.

 **Veedramon!**

 **Wormmon Evolve to... Waspmon!**

Both Veedramon and Waspmon charged at their unexpected opponents who didn't really see that evolution change happen. " **V-Nova Blast!** " Veedramon said, shooting out a high energy attack at his opponents who didn't seem to take that much damage. Waspmon then charged an attack from it's stinger and said " **Bear Buster!** " before shooting a high energy blast that did push back Justimon a little bit. Veedramon then came in and said " **Hammer Punch!** " Before punching AvengeKidmon into the wall of the stadium. Takeru meanwhile was cheering them the whole way along with Patamon. Daisuke and Ken then got blue cards for a super evolution. They slashed the cards and their partners once again glowed to suggest more for their opponents.

 **SUPER EVOLUTION._**

 **Veedramon Super Evolve To...**

Veedramon then seemed to get much bigger with a bit more white on it's arms and legs. The skin on his wings became red while the outside was blue. His horns on the back of his head got much longer along with the horn on his snout.

 **AeroVeedramon!**

 **Waspmon Super Evolve To...**

Waspmon then gained a change in armory via large cannons mounted on his back and a laser cannon mounted on his stinger.

 **CanonBeemon!**

AeroVeedramon then decides to charge at Justimon this time with a large amount of energy packed into a punch that, when it clashed with Justimon's fist, created a shockwave that made a small crater in the ground. Canonbeemon then went at AvengeKidmon who said " **Bullet rain!** " before shooting a barrage of ammunition at the ultimate level Digimon who launched several missiles from it's back to counter all of the incoming bullets and hit AvengeKidmon. Suddenly both AeroVeedramon and Canonbeemon de-evolved back into their rookie forms and headed back to their Tamers who pulled out their core drills. Takeru was getting quite excited for their new mega forms and said "Alright you guys, let's see what new forms you've got!" They inserted their core drills and were enveloped in data spheres.

 **SPIRAL MATRIX EVOLUTION._**

 **V-Mon Spiral Matrix Evolve to...**

Daisuke knew that this form would be UlforceVeedramon, though he noticed a difference in this form's appearance. He had gained a large amount of silver and dark blue armor. His golden V on his chest plate was still clear as day, but he had gained a large arm blade instead of two small ones.

 **UlforceVeedramon X!**

 **Wormmon Spiral Matrix Evolve To...**

Wormmon then changed into what appeared to be a bipedal bee warrior, with yellow and black armor plating around it's entire body, a scarf on it's neck and a helmet that obscured every part of his face. He also had swords... But two large ones, which were surprisingly lightweight in comparison to the rest of his arsenal.

 **TigerVespamon!**

UlforceVeedramon looked at TigerVespamon and gave a nod to it, as though he had a plan of attack set in motion. The two then appeared to charge at their opponents... Only to have disappeared in front of their eyes. "Where'd they go!? It's as though they disappeared!" Justimon said looking around the arena... Until TigerVespamon appeared and started to go at him with his rapier style blade. Justimon was barely able to block most of the strikes, but the last few appeared to have struck his pressure points... Thus disabling him. UlforceVeedramon then kicked AvengeKidmon into the air and started hacking and slashing at him. However, these slashes were also non-lethal like TigerVespamon and only damaged him in specific areas. After AvengeKidmon fell to the ground he suddenly shifted into a different form. He shifted into a red form and stood up to raise his arms to surrender to UlforceVeedramon and TigerVespamon. "I give up. It's clear as day that you two are in a class far above me. As your combat experience dictates. So I forfeit this match." This new form of AvengeKidmon some call MagnaKidmon walked out of the arena and into one of the exits. UlforceVeedramon and TigerVespamon were applauded for their overall performance and Takeru was joining along with the crowd... Meanwhile, MagnaKidmon met up with a mysterious person wearing a blue hoodie, sunglasses, a scarf and had an artificial left arm. MagnaKidmon asked the person "Did I do good?" The person then replied "...Awesome..." to give some praise to MagnaKidmon's efforts.

 **つづく**


	17. The Sky's newest Bird

The Following is a non-profit Fanfiction. Digimon is owned by Toei Animation, Bandai, Akiyoshi Hongo and licensed by Saban Brands. Please support the official release by buying the DVDs...

Digimon Tamers Crimson: Knights of Grim Episode 17: The Sky's newest bird...

The day after the group of Tamers returned from the Digital world, Daisuke and Ken returned to their respective homes quite triumphant over the Industrial Sector's tournament. Though the prize was one trophy, this prize had the ability to split in half. Takeru had described how the battles were to his mother, who was somewhat intrigued by the descriptions that Takeru was giving. Yamato meanwhile, was busy practicing with the guitar with Gabumon somewhat intrigued by the sounds the instrument made and listened intently. Though deep in Yamato's mind, he was worried about how his younger brother appeared to be much stronger than he was in terms of resolve and his Digimon's strength. Koushiro had decided to take Tentomon to his workplace, where he was a consultant working at a tech company. To say that people were freaked out by Tentomon's appearance in the company... Would be an understatement.

Though Koushiro's boss was a bit more lenient towards the whole thing, due to an idea he is currently pondering regarding Koushiro's partner. Sora on the other hand... Was currently greeting Taichi's friends in Xros Heart, whom she was curious about. Luckily for Taichi, Taiki and Kiriha were able to take a break from studying and hang out. Taichi had decided to meet them at Shinjuku park, though both red and blue generals were surprised to see Sora and Biyomon with Taichi and Agumon. "Hey guys! How's it hanging?" Taichi asked the two who were still quite confused about the other two with him... Until Shoutmon perked up and asked "Alright, who's the new girl and mon?" Taichi then gestured to Sora who then said "My name is Sora Takenouchi and this is my partner Biyomon. It's an honor to meet you both." Before bowing in respect to both generals. Taiki then put his hand out towards her and responded "Likewise, I'm Taiki Kudo and this is Shoutmon." Gesturing to both himself and Shoutmon who was somewhat curious about the trees around him.

Biyomon walked up to Shoutmon and asked "Now what are you looking at?" Shoutmon turned towards the pink bird and responded "I've been coming to this park a couple times... Just because Patamon and Gatomon invite me from time to time... And I gotta wonder why the trees aren't getting any bigger." Biyomon, Taiki and Taichi face palmed at the same time in response to Shoutmon's statement. Kiriha then shook Sora's outstretched hand and said "I'm Kiriha Aonuma. My partner's currently in the Digivice due to how big he is. Although when he intially came here... He was a little smaller in terms of the amount of data that was left of him." Suddenly his Digivice lit up and Greymon shouted "I wasn't that small!" Before looking at the person nearby Kiriha... And realized that he wasn't at the house as per usual. "Kiriha... Who is this woman nearby us?" Greymon asked and Sora spoke to the Digivice saying "My name is Sora. And like Tai, I'm a Digimon Tamer."

Suddenly Greymon started feel a little flustered, though Kiriha and Taiki knew what that was for... Sora and Taichi don't, and therefore were confused why a Digimon would get flustered despite not having gender. "Tai, I thought you were the only one with a Greymon type Digimon..." Sora said to Taichi who then responded "Well, this Greymon's different from Agumon... He's blue, their evolved forms are very different, one's got an axe for a tip on his tail and... Well... He's not as eager to fight as my Agumon is..." Agumon meanwhile was offended by that last statement and said "For your information Taichi, I was forced to stay at home while Shoutmon here, got a slice of that Royal Knight pie! Later, I only got to fight one Kuwagamon who wasn't even that challenging... All culminating into me, training that rookie of a Garurumon!" Shoutmon decided to walk up to Agumon and responded "Well, in case you didn't know... I ALMOST DIED IN THAT FIGHT! SO I DON'T WANT TO HEAR ANYTHING FROM YOU!" Agumon then asked "Alright tough guy! You wanna go!?" Shoutmon nodded and they had decided to walk to an isolated area in the park to fight. Sora sighed and asked "Does this happen often? Cause I feel like it's a repeat between you and Matt." Taichi responded "Sometimes, but only when Agumon whines and complains."

Shoutmon got out his microphone staff and pointed it at Agumon. "Well Shoutmon, until we get to America... This will have to be my greatest battle yet!" Agumon said to Shoutmon who responded "Well Agumon, I didn't know you wanted to be Digimon King so badly!" Agumon took a crouching stance, while Shoutmon took a horizontal stance in front of Agumon. The two then started to charge at one another... Until something stopped both of them at the same time. That someone, just happened to be Simon and Guilmon. Simon's Falchion was blocking Shoutmon's staff, while Guilmon was pinning Agumon down. "For the record, I don't give a crap who started it... I'm ending it." Simon said pushing Shoutmon away and Guilmon continued to pin Agumon down... Who started to complain about Guilmon holding him down. Later, Simon opted to tie some cable around Agumon and Shoutmon, while attaching said cable to a tree. Shoutmon then said "This sucks..." In a depressed tone. Agumon sighed and responded "Honestly, the feeling's mutual for once." Simon ended up getting the 411 on what was going on, and had finally gotten acquainted with Sora. "So I gotta ask Sora, how did you and Biyomon meet? Last time I heard your friend there, she and Tentomon were recent victims of kidnapping and the Shadow Tamer rushed in and saved them both." Simon asked Sora...

Who wasn't really amused at Simon's act. "Biyomon already told me that you're the Shadow Tamer... So drop the act." Simon was at first pondering how Biyomon knew that... Until he remembered that the Digital World knows of his feats as both a vigilante and a Digimon Tamer. "Okay fine, Yes... I am the Shadow Tamer. And While we're at it, Tai was known in the Digital World as the Victory Tamer. According to the Digimon there, if you had him on your side... He would assure total victory." Simon responded to Sora's accusations and she in return said "Wait, you and Tai both have a reputation? I bet you two must have been bitter rivals." Taichi then responded to Sora "Well, it was bitter... Until I met him and saw that he had Kari on his team. It was a difficult decision to make... But I ended up entrusting him and Daisuke with my little sister's safety." Sora was a little more confused by Taichi's words and then an idea popped in her head... "I gotta ask Tai, are you still the bomb .com at soccer?" Sora asked Taichi who immediately understood what she meant.

* * *

The group then went to the soccer field nearby the school area, which they were surprisingly able to get into despite what some people think. There, Taichi and Sora got out a soccer ball and were currently discussing what kind of contest they should have. Simon then said "Sora, you never answered my question. I asked how you met Biyomon and now we're out here discussing what kind of soccer contest should we have!" Sora snapped out of her thoughts and responded "Okay fine spoil sport. Biyomon ended up flying into my mother's flower shop... Where she was sniffing all the flowers." Biyomon then added "I ended up getting tired after that night we met, and I ended up in Odaiba. Sora then freaked out over my appearance at her house and alerted her mother... Who ended up hiding behind her." Sora then later said "And after a while, Biyomon was able to convince us to calm down enough to tell her story. So now, here we are and me currently being a Digimon Tamer and finally reunited with one of my closest friends."

Simon was a bit intrigued by her explanation and responded "Well Sora, you and Ken at least have one thing in common... Both of your parents were more freaked out by the Digimon than you were." Sora was somewhat confused by who Simon was talking about and then Taichi said to Sora "He's one of the primary Digimon Tamers in Shinjuku. He's actually just as smart as Izzy." Sora pondered that supposed fact, but decided to take Taichi's word on it... Considering she has no knowledge of Ken. "Alright Tai, let's see who could kick the ball hardest." Sora suggested to Taichi who pondered this and nodded. Taichi then got to the other side of the field and got into a good position to kick the ball. Taichi then got a running start and kicked the ball so hard, that it almost went through the net. "Beat that Sora!" Taichi declared to Sora who then set the ball slightly further away from the goal than Taichi's position. She ran up to the ball and kicked it with just as much force as Taichi and... It seemed to have the same result. Taiki, Kiriha and Simon were all quite surprised at that display. Shoutmon, Agumon and Guilmon weren't really all that impressed... Though the only reason they weren't playing like V-Mon, was because they didn't have training nor any actual kleets.

Taichi meanwhile was quite impressed with Sora, as shown by his applause. "That's awesome Sora! You really stepped up your game! Now then, how about we try actually playing the game..." Taichi said to Sora who looked over at Xros Heart and Simon before responded "But, Tai... There's five people here including us and the Digimon aren't gonna know how to play soccer." Taichi then ponders who to call and decides on calling Daisuke. "Hey Davis! We're gonna be playing a good ol' round of soccer, and I need you to get your ass over here!" Taichi said to Daisuke, who meanwhile was busy trying to read through some part of the Hunger games, which his sister recommended to him. "Yeah I'll be right there Tai! Just gotta leave a bookmark on something!" Daisuke responded to Taichi who was semi-curious as to what book he was talking about. "Wait, are you reading that Hunger Games book that Jun you said Jun loves?" Taichi asks Daisuke who responds "Yeah, I don't wanna hear it Tai. I still have some studying to do along with exams coming up tomorrow and throughout next week. But like I said, be there in a few!"

Daisuke then hung up the phone and left a bookmark in the book he was reading. "Hey V-Mon! You wanna come with?" Daisuke asked his partner who nodded and jumped onto Daisuke's shoulders. "I'm going to meet up with Tai! Be back in a few!" Jun then responded "Okay! Just be back before dinner!" before going back to listening to some music on her cell phone. Taichi then turned to Sora who was already in the middle of calling someone. "Uh, Sora... What are you doing?" Taichi asked Sora who raised her hand to him, telling him to wait a minute... Before hanging up the phone. "Alright, now we're set!" Sora said to Taichi who then asked "But Sora, I already got Davis in on the game... Who did you need to call at a time like this?" Sora smirked at Taichi and responded "Oh, just someone who'd love to see me kick your butt." Taichi thought about who could possibly want to see that. Simon, Taiki and Kiriha then huddled together and they discussed their end in all of this. "Okay, I gotta be honest... I never played soccer before. I only went to Davis' games and that's about it." Simon confessed to the other two.

Kiriha had raised an eyebrow at Simon's confession and Taiki responded "Dude! You serious!? I mean, how on earth haven't you played soccer in your life?" Simon then answered "I'm on the same basketball team as Takeru, and the only thing I'm good at is close range dunking. When it comes to the jump shot, that's where I suck the most. Whereas here, I've never played any amount of soccer." Taiki then smiled at Simon and said "Well here's your first game buddy!" Kiriha then added "You're not gona be alone in all this, and you'll probably be on Sora's team or something." Simon scowled at Kiriha and responded "Yeah, pair me up with the person who seems constantly bitter at me. That's bound for a win." Kiriha sighed and Taiki explained "Either way, you'll be teamed up with someone who's a veteran at this kind of stuff. Though I may consider myself one... But that's by sheer accident." Simon then asked "What else are you good at?"

Taiki pondered this question and answered "I'm good at Basketball, Soccer, Baseball and Kendo." Simon then said "Huh... Someone who's a jack of all trades like me. Though I'm assuming you're a master of none of these things right?" Taiki nodded in response to Simon's statement and Kiriha then asks "Well, how good are you at swordplay since you always bring one with you?" Simon then answers "I try to stay away from the kendo club... Out of a need of not dethroning their current captain. Though I think that he might be someone Taiki could beat." Taiki later said "Okay, now how about we focus on the upcoming game... And then we'll discuss the Kendo club caption alright?" The others nodded and everyone said "Break!" At the same time. When they looked back to Taichi and Sora, Daisuke had finally shown up. "HEEEEEYYY! Sorry I'm late!" Daisuke yelled to Taichi who responded "No need to worry Davis! Besides, now that you're here we can even out the-" But was interrupted by "Davis? I didn't know you were out here..." Taichi then looked towards where the voice came from, and it turned out to be Hikari somewhat behind Daisuke and V-Mon... With Gatomon at her side giving a somewhat straight face the whole time...

* * *

"Kari! What are you doing here!?" Taichi yelled to his little sister who pouted in disappointment at Taichi's question. "What? I can't watch my big brother and boyfriend play soccer, and maybe join in... I'm hurt Taichi..." Hikari responded to Taichi who then face palmed at Hikari's answer. Daisuke turned to face Hikari and asked "Alright, who called you? Cause I know you didn't just come out here to follow me." Hikari sighed and answered "Alright fine, it was Sora. She called me just to get at Tai." Daisuke then shrugged his shoulders and went to join the others. Hikari then walked down the small hill and sat down to watch the inevitable game. "So Kari, is this gonna be another round of Davis winning the game or what?" Gatomon asked her Tamer who responded "I'd be surprised if he won against my big brother. Tai used to be the best in the elementary school soccer team. He and Sora were probably the only two who dominated the competition. Though to be fair to Davis, he's been a soccer star for as long as I've known him. I just wish Tai would let me play the game with them." Gatomon was somewhat curious as to why Hikari would express some desire for playing something she's perfectly content with watching.

"Kari, what happened with you and soccer?" Gatomon asked Hikari who seemed a bit sad at that question. Meanwhile, Taichi was still looking over at Hikari's direction and seemed to still be sporting a concerned expression on his face. "Sora, what if she suddenly has a fever again? How am I supposed to explain that to mom?" Taichi asked Sora who responded "Oh don't even give me that crap! She's been fine! Besides, if she did have a fever... She'd at least tell me before coming out here!" Taichi and Sora then started arguing about Hikari's prescience out in the field and Daisuke seemed to be the only one not out of loop there. Simon then walked up to Daisuke and said "The last time I remember Kari having a fever was four years ago. And that was around the time when I had to constantly return Miko to her. What happened back then?" Daisuke pondered this question and answered "Okay, but I just wanna tell you. Xros Heart doesn't need to know this about her." Simon was about to object... Until he remembered Taiki's "I can't turn my back on anyone!" persona... "Proceed..." Simon said to Daisuke.

"One time, I had huge fever around the summer time... And my parents told me to stay indoors all day. But Tai didn't know that. He just wanted to play a game of soccer with me. Unfortunately, I didn't say no... So he took me outside and kicked the ball to me. Though in my case... I couldn't kick it back." Hikari explained to Gatomon who then asked "And then what?" Hikari then felt a bit more depressed before continuing on with her story. Meanwhile, Daisuke was explaining the same thing to Simon. "Then she ended up passing out from the fever. Tai and his parents took her to the hospital. She got better... But Mrs. Kamiya wasn't very happy with him. She ended up smacking him in the face after that, but she too ended up feeling apologetic about that part of the incident. Kari blamed herself however..." Simon was quite shocked to hear that Yuko, one of the nicest mother's he's met... Slapping Taichi in the face over an incident like this. He was also surprised that Hikari would blame herself over the whole incident.

Meanwhile... "I told Tai that it was my fault. And I couldn't kick the ball back to him. That's why he's very protective of me... And why he only wants me to spectate the soccer games he participates in. So now all I am is just a spectator to him. But I guess Sora invited me just because she wanted him to get over that day." Hikari finished explaining to Gatomon, while Daisuke finished explaining to Simon the whole deal with Taichi and his sister. "Well Kari, that was quite... Sad if I say so myself... But unless you stick yourself into the game, your brother isn't going to see that you can in fact play soccer and you don't constantly have a fever every time you go outside!" Gatomon said to Hikari who looked at herself and thought about the strength she could demonstrate to Taichi. She then got up and walked towards the field where Taichi and Sora were arguing. Daisuke had decided to do the same thing to help support Hikari. He then pushed Taichi away from Sora, while Hikari pushed Sora away from Taichi. "Okay, Tai... You really need to get over this. Like Sora said!" Daisuke said to Taichi who then responded "You kidding me!? She calls her out here when she knows that Kari could pass out at any moment!" Daisuke later said "Tai... You need to understand. She doesn't have a fever anymore. Besides, she's been outdoors doing much more dangerous things than soccer..."

* * *

Taichi had thought about Daisuke, and looked from his stern expression... To the goggles he wears on his forehead. He then had a realization about the whole thing. Meanwhile, Hikari said to Sora "This is getting way out of hand. All you had to do, was explain to Tai about the whole thing and maybe come to a compromise. But instead, you have to act first before thinking!" Sora then responded "Well maybe if I had said something, he would have lost his marbles! So what do you want me to do!?" Hikari later answered "How about maybe trying to coerce him into calming down! He has friends who are here, and more than willing to help. One of them literally doesn't like turning his back on anyone and the other is always with him through thick and thin!" Sora then looked over at Taiki and Kiriha who were a bit confused due to them not having any part in this whole argument. Sora sighed and says to Hikari "Alright, I'll trust your judgement, and think about things before actually doing them. That goes hand in hand with being a Digimon Tamer right?" Hikari nods in response to Sora's question. Taichi then looked back at Daisuke's eyes and said "I guess Kari trusts you with those goggles for a reason.

Of all the years of battling in the Digital World, you've single handedly proven that you have more guts than I do." Daisuke blushes in embarrassment at that statement and responds "You're just saying that. I only said this stuff because I just wanted you and Sora to stop. You guys just got back together and this is the way you're gonna treat each other... Just because of something stupid like this? I mean sure, no romance is perfect and it has it's ups and downs..." Taichi sighs and says "Well... Thanks for that whole motivator Davis. I'm gonna go apologize to Sora right now." Daisuke looks towards Taichi heading over to Sora feeling proud of himself. "Looks like you're on a roll aren't ya!" Simon said to Daisuke who responds "It was nothing really. All I did was talk to him. Right now, he has to do the rest." Simon then sighs before saying "Well, think about it like this... If you and Hikari hadn't said anything, we'd be at a loss for what to do. I mean, they invite us out here... Just for a shout match rather than a soccer game?" Daisuke then ponders what if he and Hikari get into an argument over something so arcaic that could break them up...

Later on, the teams were as follows... Taichi was teamed up with Simon and Taiki, while Sora was teamed up with Daisuke and Hikari due to them wanting to see if they could win against him. Kiriha meanwhile, was willing to watch the game from afar... Mostly due to his lack of interest in playing soccer. The game had gone on for quite a while, with Taichi teaching Simon about the fundamentals of soccer... Which he did pick up on some parts of it. While the rest of it, was kind of something he couldn't really pick up on. So Taichi and Taiki were left to pick up the slack... Only for them to end up quite outnumbered by their opposition. In the end, it was Sora's team who had won. And V-Mon of course jumped for joy and chanted "V for Victory!" At Daisuke's triumph. Taichi and the others on his team were quite exhausted, while Simon felt quite down about not being able to do as well as Taiki and Taichi. Daisuke then walked over to Taichi and said "We totally whooped you!" Taichi then responded "Well how about a rematch... Just you and me!" Daisuke shrugged his shoulders and shook Taichi's hand in agreement.

Hikari felt quite triumphant over actually winning against her brother... But felt some fatigue over playing the game for the first time. Sora went up to Hikari and asked "You okay champ?" Hikari responded "I've never felt so alive! Now if you'll excuse me... Imma take a nap!" Before falling asleep. Daisuke saw this and carried her over to the nearby hill bridal style. Taichi and Sora looked at the couple sitting on the hillside. Sora then asked "Would you carry me like that someday?" Taichi felt himself blush at that mere thought. Simon after getting some help from Kiriha and Taiki looked at Taichi's predicament and said "Someone's certainly nervous about doing the bridal style carrying." Taichi then turns to face Simon and responds "This coming from the guy who skipped leg day!" Simon seems to take offense to that and says "Try jumping down from buildings with only a whip to carry you downwards... And we'll see how long your legs last without any form of training..." Taichi then thinks about a comeback and asks "You ever think about baseball? Taiki's actually quite a natural at it, and I'm sure he could give you a lot of pointers." Simon sighed and just decided to go sit down with Guilmon.

Suddenly, fog appeared around each of the Tamers in the field... Which Simon, Daisuke, Taichi and Taiki were prepared for... While Kiriha and Sora couldn't see in the thick fog. Biyomon walked up nearby Sora protectively, just to make sure she was okay, while Agumon and Guilmon prepared for combat. When the fog clears, they're suddenly surrounded by what appears to be a group of Canonbeemon. Daisuke had to shake Hikari awake, so that she could get in on the fight as well. Simon and co. except for Sora and Xros Heart went through their decks to find a blue card... While Taiki and Kiriha decided to get out their other team members for Digi-Xrossing. Guilmon had changed into WarGrowlmon, Agumon into RizeGreymon, V-Mon into AeroVeedramon, Gatomon into Angewomon, Shoutmon into Shoutmon X-5 and Kiriha's Greymon into MetalGreymon. Sora meanwhile could only get Biyomon to Birdramon. And so the battle had ensued with each Tamer and Digimon fighting against one of the Canonbeemon.

Meanwhile, TyrantKabuterimon was watching from the Digital World in glee at the fact that, the Shadow Tamer was among the group of people fighting and had given a mental command to the Canonbeemon to quickly finish off WarGrowlmon and focus it's undivided attention on Simon. Though Okuwamon of course had concerns for TyrantKabuterimon's hastiness towards eliminating the Shadow Tamer... He decided not to say anything, lest he face the wrath of his master. RizeGreymon had taken care of his opponent effortlessly along with AeroVeedramon and Angewomon. Though Shoutmon X-5, MetalGreymon and WarGrowlmon appeared to have problems taking out their opponents. RizeGreymon then opted to help WarGrowlmon, just so that he'd get another fight... Against Taichi's wishes. WarGrowlmon had finally put an end to his CanonBeemon by the time RizeGreymon came by, who said "Aw dammit! I was gonna get that kill!" WarGrowlmon was a bit confused, but responded "Well... Thanks for coming to help, but me and Simon already have this." RizeGreymon crossed his arms and turned away from WarGrowlmon, whom he thought was feigning obliviousness towards his previous statement... Only to realize that he actually was oblivious to it.

Birdramon meanwhile, was trying to destroy the missiles fired at her with the meteor wing... Only for more missiles to appear for her to avoid. She seems to successfully avoid said missiles, but unfortunately that left room for CanonBeemon to fire his canon at Birdramon. He began charging the power for his cannon, which he fires and clips Birdramon's wing. Sora, then frantically looked through her deck to find a seed of health to heal up Birdramon. However, CanonBeemon targeted Sora who didn't see it coming... Until Birdramon moved in front of Sora and took all the hits for her. Surprsingly, Birdramon didn't de-evolve. However, she seemed to be heavily damaged by CanonBeemon's attack. And she could barely stand, let alone fly. "Birdramon! That's enough! Let the others handle this!" Sora yelled to her partner. The others upon hearing this decided to charge in, except for Simon...

Who was waiting for something important to happen. Unfortunately, the four Digimon were impeded by a black and grey beetle Digimon who appeared to be a much larger version of Kuwagamon. "Not so fast. First, you'll need to get past me first!" The giant beetle said to the others. WarGrowlmon was about to join in... Until Simon signaled him to wait. "If Sora can't get Birdramon stronger, we'll join in the fight. Until then, we hold our ground." Birdramon then got up and said "Sora... I can do this... Don't worry... It's like the others taught us... If we believe... Then we can do anything!" Sora went up and hugged Birdramon's legs before responding "No! Stop it! You can't do this! If you keep going, you'll die!" Birdramon turned to face her Tamer and said "Sora... It's fine... Besides... You wanna get tougher to help Tai right? Well... I'm here to help... And I'll do whatever it takes... To see you reach your dreams..." Sora was starting to tear up. She then said "Birdramon... I-I love you..." Which then triggered a glow in her cards... And there she saw a blue card within the deck. Birdramon meanwhile, was feeling herself be revitalized by the blue card. Sora then decided to immediately slash the card through her deck and then, Birdramon went through a significant change...

 **SUPER EVOLUTION._**

 **Birdramon Super Evolve To...**

Birdramon then began to grow a little bigger... while suddenly growing arms instead of her wings being attached to her arms. She then gained a more auburn shade of feathers instead of the orange that she was known for prior. She also seemed to have a decreased beak size along with a mask over her eyes and head.

 **Garudamon!**

Garudamon stood in front of Sora, striking a protective pose in front of her Tamer. She was quite shocked that her affection for her Digimon was what ultimately caused it to evolve into it's newest form. Taichi scanned this new form with his Digivice. "Garudamon, Vaccine Type, Ultimate Level. Attacks are: Shadow Wing, Eagle Claw, Shadow Claw, Crimson Claw and Fire Hurricane." Taichi said quoting his Digivice. CanonBeemon tried launching more missiles at Garudamon... Only for her to start spinning her arms around at an extremely fast speed, while adding fire to that mix. " **Fire Hurricane!** " She said as the flaming winds caused all the missiles to explode before they even reached her. Garudamon then flew through the smoke and clawed at CanonBeemon for quite a bit... Before grabbing it with her talons and flying upwards. She then flew straight down with CanonBeemon in tow before ramming it into the ground... Which caused some significant injuries to the insect type Digimon. The black beetle Digimon looked behind him, and saw what was essentially a beat down of one of the strongest troops TyrantKabuterimon had to offer.

Garudamon then lifted her hands into the air and created what appeared to be a blade made of pure energy. " **Shadow Wing!** " She said before slamming the blade downwards... Which at first didn't do anything to CanonBeemon, until he suddenly was split into several pieces and was disintigrated into data. Garudamon let the data go... But it was then absorbed by the black beetle nearby. "Tis a shame really... I'm sure my master could have had much better troops than this. I was only sent here just to fend off any Tamer that can evolve into a mega level Digimon. But now I see that, there'd be no point in that kind of bloodshead. So for now, I'll let you live. But the next time we meet, my master will already have his scheme in front of you..." He then conjured a portal behind him. Though Garudamon then tried to stop the insect from escaping, only for her to be too late. However, she then de-evolved straight back into Biyomon due to her fatigue getting to her. Sora picked her up and held her protectively. "Biyomon..." Sora muttered to herself. Taichi walked up to Sora and gave her a hug to comfort her...

Sora then returned the hug and cried into Taichi's chest. Simon walked up to the group and said "Well, I guess we'll need to be prepared for an additional invasion..." The other Digimon then de-evolved back into their rookie states, except for Angewomon who reverted back into Gatomon. Taichi looked at Simon and responded "I hope you know what you're doing... Fearless leader..." Simon sighed and responded "Honestly, I've been quite nervous throughout this whole time of invasions. Planning out tactics, finding out when and if these scumbags are gonna strike... And of course training for said invasions, in case they end up being stronger than I am. So no, I'm not fearless." Taichi then asked "Can't you take a joke?" Simon responded "I can take a joke... But what you said, wasn't a good joke." Simon decided to leave the group with Guilmon... Only for Daisuke to say "C'mon! Stay with us for a while!" Simon responded "Well, I feel like I'd be a mood killer... So I think it's best that I leave." Hikari then ran over and dragged Simon back to the group.

"You are not going off on us again! You will stay here, until we decide to leave alright?!" Hikari yelled to Simon, who shrugged his shoulders and responded "Alright fine. But you don't have to shout Kari." After Sora calmed down, Taichi had decided to take Sora back to the train station. Daisuke had escorted Hikari back to her apartment with their Digimon in tow. Kiriha and Taiki waved goodbye to Simon as they all parted ways to head back to their respective homes. At the train station Sora and Biyomon waited with Taichi and Agumon for her appointed train. "Tai... I'm really sorry about earlier. I shouldn't have done that to you." Sora said to Taichi who responded "It's not your fault Sora. I should've been a bit more understanding. My little sister's much stronger than what she used to be. It's just that... Having her out in a soccer field made me think back to that day." Sora held Taichi's hand and said "It's not your fault. You didn't know, and Kari doesn't blame you for that whole thing." Taichi still felt some guilt inside of him, despite how Hikari feels regarding that situation. To this day Taichi will always blame himself for that incident, because he felt he could've simply not asked Hikari to play with him that day...

* * *

Meanwhile, in the Digital World...

The black beetle known as GranKuwagamon reported back to TyrantKabuterimon of the recent events. "So, now the bird Digimon is becoming a threat... Damn. I guess we'll have to focus all our attention on that Tentomon." TyrantKabuterimon said in a surprisingly calm manner. "Don't worry master, I'll take care of that myself..." Okuwamon in the background said before entering a chamber where he was absorbing what appeared to be, nectar. That nectar gave him quite a power boost which both TyrantKabuterimon and GranKuwagamon noticed. "Well master, I see that you're trying to milk all that nectar that Yggdrasil gave us..." GranKuwagamon said to TyrantKabuterimon who responded "Oh yes indeed... We're going to use this to our advantage. So even if Tentomon gets to Ultimate level, he'll have to be extremely powerful in order to defeat Okuwamon." Okuwamon exited the chamber and flew out of the hole where TyrantKabuterimon is stationed. TyrantKabuterimon and GranKuwagamon watched on as their subordinate flew in the hopes of eliminating one of his master's enemies...

 **つづく**


	18. Curiosity and Knowledge

The Following is a non-profit Fanfiction. Digimon is owned by Toei Animation, Bandai, Akiyoshi Hongo and licensed by Saban Brands. Please support the official release, by buying the DVDs...

Digimon Tamers Crimson: Episode 18: Curiosity and Knowledge...

Okuwamon was nearing the Human World... When he was suddenly approached by a small, alien-like Digimon. "Hold a moment!" The alien Digimon yelled to Okuwamon who then turned and asked "What is it? In case you didn't know, I was in the middle of something. And right now, isn't the right time to intervene!" The alien Digimon then approached him and responded "I would like to help you with your whole quest... But I need something from you in return..." Okuwamon landed near the alien and said "Alright, you have my attention. What do you want? My master doesn't really like it when I waste time with something vital to his quest for domination." The Digimon in question then showed him a hologram of, what appeared to be a sphere made of some type of liquid. "I can promise you the defeat of these... "Digimon Tamers" if you bring me one of them alive. Just so I can have their most cherished quality."

Okuwamon was pondering the alien's statement and responded "Fine then, you have a deal. However, you must keep them someplace where TyrantKabuterimon wouldn't suspect it." The Digimon then shook Okuwamon's pinser and he flew off into the distance. The alien Digimon then tapped some buttons on a device he carried around which opened a portal into another dimension. Inside the dimension, lied a storage area known as Vademon goods. Said Vademon being the one who ran the facility. He then sat inside nearby his desk and was patiently awaiting Okuwamon's arrival. "I wonder which trait I'll recieve from this human... Probably something idiotic like courage or friendship... Or maybe love... Oh well, I guess I'll wait for Okuwamon to arrive with this human that he appears to be seeking out." He then continued to twiddle his thumbs before glancing at several objects in his storage. Vademon was a seller in the Digital World that lived within a realm separate from the human and Digital Worlds. There would be times when his prices would quite unreasonable... But other times where he would offer a great deal.

* * *

Meanwhile in the human world...

Koushiro Izumi was returning home from work with Tentomon in tow. Though some of the workers found it odd for him to carry trading cards with him in the company... He was able to have Tentomon explain it to his co-workers, whom were somewhat understanding since it was a minor issue. Nowadays, he feels quite comfortable with bringing Tentomon with him to work. Though the same can't be said with school. He has to leave Tentomon in the care of Gatomon and the others who would frequent the park. Today seemed different though... As he was looking through the various things he was consulted about on files put into his computer, his Digivice made a beeping noise... As though indicating another Digimon was coming into the human world. "Hey Izzy, do you think we should maybe... Do something about that?" Tentomon asked Koushiro who shrugged his shoulders and responded "Don't worry about it Tentomon, it's probably nowhere near us. And besides, the likelihood of a Digimon appearing in front of us are-" He stopped himself as he saw a large cloud of fog in front of them. Tentomon was about to say something, until Koushiro grabbed him and ran towards the nearest alleyway.

Okuwamon had appeared from that fog and flew to find out where Koushiro and Tentomon were. He did feel that he had to be careful, since this was around the time that... The Shadow Tamer would be on the prowl. Said Shadow Tamer was already out and about with Guilmon, looking at the new bio-emergeance. "So... Do you think it's the one that appeared earlier?" Guilmon asked Simon who responded "No, that one was bigger. This one is just a bigger recolored version of those Kuwagamon from a week ago." He then whipped up to a nearby rooftop with Guilmon following by jumping to several. Simon was hoping to get a scan of the Digimon that appeared, but unfortunately the closer he got... The further it was going away. "It's like he's on a freaking rubber band AI thing. Only real life..." Simon said about the Digimon before it turned around and said "I should've known that you'd follow me..." Simon looked at the Digimon and scanned him while he was idle. "Okuwamon. Virus Type, Ultimate Level. Attacks are: Double Scissor Claw." Simon quoted his Digivice.

"You must be the Shadow Tamer that my master fears so much..." Okuwamon said to Simon who responded "Wait, who's your master? Is it Yggdrasil? Cause if it is, I've got news for you..." Okuwamon laughed at that mere thought... And turned his attention towards the frantic Koushiro, whom Simon had just noticed. Okuwamon then charged at the ground in front of the boy and said "Do stick around young one... Cause my master wanted me to pay special attention to you and your little bug..." Koushiro looked at Tentomon who was quite scared of this newcomer and held him protectively. Simon and Guilmon jumped down from the rooftops and stood in front of Koushiro. "If I were you, I'd get the hell out of dodge before he gets you." Simon said to Koushiro who was now curious about the man standing in front of him. Tentomon leaped out of Koushiro's arms and said "Oh thank goodness! The Shadow Tamer has arrived!" Simon sighed and thought to himself " _He's hardly changed from the last time I saw him. At least he isn't saying "Praise be to Goddramon"..._ "

Koushiro was pondering about the whole Shadow Tamer thing and said "Well, thanks for helping me and all... But I gotta get home right now." Simon was somewhat satisfied when Koushiro had decided to run with Tentomon in tow. "You shouldn't have gotten in my way boy!" Okuwamon said to Simon who slashed a blue card for Guilmon to evolve into WarGrowlmon. Okuwamon was now standing before Guilmon's ultimate form, in a stand off. "No... You should've stayed in your hive..." WarGrowlmon said to Okuwamon before grabbing him and taking him into the sky. Simon watched from below and said "It's always gotta be where I can't see it huh?" Before patiently waiting for WarGrowlmon to finish off his opponent. In the sky however, WarGrowlmon appeared to have the advantage over Okuwamon... Who then underwent a transformation that would change the outcome of the fight. "And your second mistake, was thinking an Ultimate level was enough for me!" He then transformed into what appeared to be a shinier version of himself. WarGrowlmon had immediately recognized the power used for that transformation. "Where did you get an X-Antibody?!" He yelled to his opponent who now laughed in arrogance.

Simon was also quite shocked at that glow in the sky. He then noticed that WarGrowlmon had de-evolved into Guilmon, and was falling towards Simon's general direction. Simon then runs up a wall and jumps to catch Guilmon in mid-air. "You okay buddy?" Simon asked Guilmon who nodded and jumped out of Simon's arms. Okuwamon X took this opportunity to move at a newfound speed towards where he assumed Koushiro would go. Koushiro was nearing his house by taking the shortcuts in the alleyways... Only for Okuwamon to stand in his way. "Now then, where were we boy? Oh yes, I remember now. We're at the part where I kidnap the two of you." Okuwamon said to Koushiro, before Tentomon got out of Koushiro's arms and stood in front of Okuwamon's path. However, he was quickly knocked out. "Tentomon!" Koushiro yelled before trying to approach his partner before recieving a blow that knocked him out quickly. Okuwamon then picked up both Koushiro and Tentomon before opening a portal nearby him.

Suddenly, Gallantmon had stood in his way. "Yeah, I'm gonna be one of the sensible mons here and say no." Gallantmon said while pointing Falchion at Okuwamon. However, Okuwamon held up Koushiro in plain view of Gallantmon. The ex-Royal Knight's eyes widened in the hostage situation presented before him. Unfortunately for Simon, that brought on bad memories regarding what happened with Rika... His hand was shaking in front of Okuwamon, who was surprised at Gallantmon's fear. "Hah! You're afraid of a mere hostage situation!? How pathetic! The fearless leader of the Digimon Tamers... Brought down because someone is about to get hurt! Truly someone worthy of attention to all evil Digimon!" He then kept holding Koushiro nearby him as he walked into the portal... All while Gallantmon kneeled and de-fused back into Simon and Guilmon. Simon seemed visably shaken by the recent events and Guilmon had taken notice to this. Suddenly, the Shadow Tamer had gotten up and headed towards the alleyway, where he punched a brick wall in rage. "Dammit! Why did I freeze up back there!?" Simon asked himself in his rage... Before Guilmon put his hand on Simon's back trying to calm him down. "Guilmon, we're gonna have to tell the parents... And gather up a team to kick this guy's ass." Simon said before taking some deep breaths just to calm down.

* * *

Meanwhile, in Vademon's shop...

Okuwamon had brought the unconscious Koushiro before Vademon, who had looked closely at the boy before him. "Oh goody! You actually brought someone here. And it's a human no less!" Vademon said in excitment, while Okuwamon had put Tentomon in a cage where he couldn't hope to escape. Vademon tried taking the Digivice off of his belt... But for some reason it wouldn't come off. Okuwamon was curious about this and decided to ponder this later. "Now then, Vademon... I've brought you the human I was hunting down. Make sure to keep him here, while I do my job." Okuwamon said before leaving Vademon to his work. Vademon smiled and set Koushiro down on a table before scanning him. He then used his gun equiped on him to suck out something from within Koushiro's chest. Instead of internal organs, there was a liquid sphere that held Koushiro's most cherished trait. He stared closely at it, before concluding which trait he received "Oh boy! Now this is one that is certainly worth the effort! Curiosity! One trait which does go hand in hand with knowledge. So now, he won't question where he is, why he's here, nor any demand that I ask of him."

Vademon gloated before laughing evilly. Tentomon had just stirred to see that Vademon has stolen something from Koushiro. He wanted to stop him... But then he slipped back into unconsciousness. "Now then, all I have to do... Is store his curiosity somewhere he'll never find it, and then wait for him to wake up." Vademon said to himself before putting the curiosity into a jar and placed in a private shelf nearby his desk. He then dragged the unconscious Koushiro and Tentomon out into a realm devoid of gravity, and or logic. He then placed the two onto a meteor and waited for the boy to regain consciousness. He then thought to himself " _Perhaps the Digivice must be given by free will. But then again, I've got that in the bag as well. All I have to do is ask him for the Digivice and he'll just hand it over, no questions asked!_ " He then summoned, what looked like a wine glass and started to drink from it. From where he got it, nobody really knows. But, since he controls this world... He can do whatever he pleases... As long as it's within his current level of power...

* * *

Back in the Human World...

The Shadow Tamer had taken it upon himself to tell Mr. and Mrs. Izumi the bad news. "You're telling us that, both Koushiro and his partner were kidnapped by a large bug, and taken to the Digital World!?" Mr. Izumi questioned Simon who nodded and responded "Look, I'm sorry for not stopping him... But he was using him as leverage just so I'd back off." Mrs. Izumi then started to cry over the whole thing, with Mr. Izumi trying his best to comfort her. Simon felt very guilty about the whole thing, and said "Mrs. Izumi, I promise I'll do whatever I can to bring your son back!" Mrs. Izumi tried calming down before saying "I know... That... He isn't... My... Child... But please get him back for us! Please!" She then started to cry even more, leaving Simon a bit confused by what she meant. "Koushiro... Isn't really our son. He's adopted. But the thing is, we knew his parents and we took it upon ourselves to raise him as our own. Though, he probably already knows this... But, you can't tell him or his friends alright?" Simon was taking all this in. Though he didn't personally know him, considering Taichi never introduced him to Simon and he never actually met him.

Simon had heard of Koushiro through high school and his reputation for having excellent grades in just about every subject, practically beating out Ken, whom besides Henry was the smartest of the main Tamer group. To think that, these people whom he just met were telling him this. Simon then grabbed Mr. and Mrs. Izumi's hands and said "Like I said, whatever happens... I will save Koushiro. So just sit tight, and I'll be back before he has to eat dinner." He then walked out the door with Guilmon in tow. Though Mr. and Mrs. Izumi believed him, they were still quite depressed about the whole situation. Simon then took out his cell phone and made a few phone calls saying "I'm gonna need your help. Meet me in Shinjuku park in ten minutes!" He hung up his phone and headed towards the park. Simon was seen sitting on a park bench, waiting for the two people he called for this operation. He saw Takeru and Patamon along with Taichi and Agumon. "Alright fearless leader, what's the situation?" Takeru asked Simon who was about to respond until Taichi interrupted saying "How come whenever you say it, he doesn't get offended... But when I say it, he goes into a whole speech to prove me wrong?"

Simon sighs and responds "Tai, I don't mean to offend you. But we don't have time to ponder answers to stupid questions. I'm afraid your friend Koushiro Izumi has been kidnapped by Okuwamon." This ends up shocking both Taichi and Takeru. Though Taichi was first to act on this and say "What the hell!? How did this happen?!" Before looking at Simon's general direction. "You were there weren't you!? Did you just let that bastard take him away?!" Taichi yells to Simon while grabbing his shirt. Simon looks into Taichi's eyes and responds "He used him as a meat shield just so I'd not attack him. And in that instant, I practically froze. And yes, I'm mad at myself for not thinking of a better way. But really, are you willing to play the blame game with me, or do you want to save your friend?" Taichi lets go of Simon's shirt and says "You know, you're such a drama queen. Always brooding over the same damn thing over and over again. From what I know of you, you seem to dwell on the same thing. Maybe, you should just get over it!"

Simon looks down and responds "To tell you the truth Tai... I've been trying. So far, it's been working. Nowadays I don't feel as alone as I used to back in the days when I was growing up. From now on... No more screw ups... No more PTSD episodes... And no more brooding over one man's death." Taichi was somewhat surprised by the resolve that Simon presented, and said "Huh. I guess when he wants to get over things, he has to make a whole speech about it. Right, Takeru?" Takeru nodded and responded "Well, Simon was always known for being a bit over the top... But he's our leader through and through." Simon sighed at Takeru's response to Taichi. Guilmon was still a bit confused by the whole conversation, but he knew that something was resolved. Takeru then evolved Patamon to MagnaAngemon, who opened a portal for the Tamers to go through. "Well, let's go on a rescue mission then!" Takeru said before jumping into the portal first. Taichi looked at Simon and was about to apologize. "No need, I needed a figurative kick in the ass. Besides, maybe this'll get that idiot off my back about brooding." Simon said to Taichi before jumping into the portal with Guilmon. Taichi and Agumon followed suit along with MagnaAngemon...

* * *

In the Digital World...

MagnaAngemon had made a portal that landed them in the hub area of the Digital World. "Huh... I didn't know you could just pick which area to go to..." Takeru said to MagnaAngemon who responded "The thing is TK, I need to have known the layout before I decide to open a portal to another dimension. So, unless I have enough power or knowledge... I can only send you a short distance into the dimension." Takeru then shrugged his shoulders and said "Eh, not your fault buddy. Besides, we're here and perhaps we could get some information." The others nodded at Takeru's suggestion and they wandered throughout the area looking for answers. Though they would show various Digimon a picture of Okuwamon, and Koushiro... None of them were able to provide any answers that they're looking for. Although one thing caught Taichi's eyes. A poster for a merchant shop, one for a Digimon named Vademon. Simon and Takeru were comparing each other's notes when Taichi had come by with some new information. "So guys, do you think this Digimon might have the answers?" Taichi asked raising the poster he found to Simon, Takeru and their partners.

Simon looked closely at that poster and said "He'll have the answers alright. We just gotta find out where his shop is." A cloaked figure drew close to the Tamers and said "You'll never find him in this world..." Simon and co. turned towards the figure and were curious as to why. "He's only in his own world, created by his own hands. It's only limitation is his own power... Therefore, he's likely not to let anyone like you into his world." Taichi then went up to the cloaked figure and asked "And why's that?" The figure sighed before responding "Because you have no appointment with him. Unless you actually have an appointment with Vademon, you're never gonna get to that dimension. So basically, you're screwed." He then walked away into the alleys, before Simon decided to give some chase to him. "Wait! How are we supposed to get an appointment with Vademon?" Simon asked the figure who then answered "You'll need to find one of his associates. Luckily for you, I happen to know one of them." He then handed a paper, detailing some information regarding one of Vademon's associates... But when Simon looked back, the figure disappeared. "Huh... So that's what a stealth bye feels like..."

Simon went back to the others holding a piece of paper regarding whom to search for... Though Taichi and Takeru were quite skeptical about the information he recieved. "Wait, but this means that... Our EBEmon is associated with Vademon..." Takeru said to Simon who was confused as to what he meant, until Taichi added "Don't worry, we'll tell you on the way." Simon just followed Taichi and Takeru towards a destination he was starting to become familiar with. They entered Vulcanusmon's blacksmith area, where they were greeted by EBEmon, who was just finished with welding. "Oh! Welcome back Taichi, Takeru and Simon." Simon then pondered who this EBEmon was... Until he realized that it was in fact Datamon. "So, you evolved into EBEmon...? Nice!" Simon said to EBEmon who then shook Simon's hand and Vulcanusmon came up to Simon before saying "So then, what can I do for you today?" Simon then held up the piece of paper and asked "Tell me, does EBEmon know someone named Vademon?" Vulcanusmon and EBEmon gave a simultaneous sigh before EBEmon answered "Yes. I used to know Vademon." Taichi then asked "Well how then?"

EBEmon then pondered the answer before responding "I used to work for him before I met Vulcanusmon." This ended up shocking everyone in the room except for Vulcanusmon. "Nowadays, I don't even want to go back to that inhumane monster. He experiments on various Digimon and other life forms that his associates gave him. And yet, I was curious in a different way... One that wanted to explore the good possibilities of these traits that he would rob from people." EBEmon explained to the group and they were confused by what he meant by traits... "Oh right, I should explain that. Vademon is capable of robbing a person or Digimon of their most cherished trait. And so they would become quite empty without it. And that's how he runs experiments in his messed up world of near nothingness." Taichi felt quite a bit of concern for what kind of horrors Koushiro could be going through right now. "So what's the best way of getting to that dimension?" Simon asked EBEmon who then felt quite a bit of shame boil up inside him before going to his computer and contacting him. "So a simple Skype call is what's needed to get in touch?" Takeru asked EBEmon who then shushed them.

Vulcanusmon went back to working on something while EBEmon was waiting for Vademon to answer... He eventually did answer, but in a surprisingly positive manner. "Oh! Is this Datamon!? Now that's a splended new form you took on! Though I am a little mad at you, I'd like to ask... Why'd you call at this hour?" Vademon said to EBEmon who responded "Well, I've got some customers who wish to browse through your inventory. So if you could give me the coordinates, I could teleport them to you..." Vademon then felt joy run through him and said "Wonderful! Here's the coordinates, and I wish you a great day my old friend... You sure you don't wanna come back?" EBEmon sighed and responded "Just. Give. Me. The. Coordinates!" Vademon then felt disappointed and just gave EBEmon the exact coordinates of his store. "Alright, I'm gonna upload this to my teleporter... Though the only issue is how you're going to come back..." EBEmon said while putting in the data to his computer. Patamon said "No need to worry! TK will evolve me into MagnaAngemon and we'll just be out, lickety split!"

Agumon felt himself get excited over getting another fight in the same day. "Taichi, I know I don't believe in what you humans call... A Santa Claus... But did he just give me Christmas early?" Agumon asked Taichi who sighed and responded "Yeah, we'll just go with that..." Agumon then got even more excited. Guilmon looked at Simon in concern for earlier and asked "Are you sure that you won't do that again?" Guilmon asked Simon who responded "This time Guilmon, I have a plan. A plan that involves a thing we've tried before... Only never out in the field..." Guilmon wondered what that was... Until he put two and two together. EBEmon then finished putting the data into his computer and ordered the Tamers and their Digimon to enter the teleporter. He clicked on the button that activated the device and they were teleported to the area where the data would send them to. Vulcanusmon looked at EBEmon who seemed a bit ashamed of himself, before focusing on building a weapon for another Digimon that came in earlier. Though EBEmon was quick to return to the station he's always been at... Vulcanusmon's side, waiting for an opportunity to assist.

* * *

Meanwhile...

Within Vademon's space, Tentomon woke up to the sight of a somewhat weary Koushiro. "Izzy! Thank goodness you're alright! Where do you think we are? And who's that weird looking Digimon that had you on an operating table?!" Tentomon asked, but when he saw Koushiro turn his head towards him... Koushiro was not the same. He had this dead look in his eyes, as though something was taken away from him... That he probably couldn't get back. "Izzy? Are you okay?" Koushiro in the most non-chalant way possible responded "Yeah, I'm fine." Tentomon was then further confused by Koushiro's somewhat deadpan tone. "Izzy! Aren't you the least bit curious at all? We could be stuck here forever for all we know! Or worse... We could be that Digimon's lapdogs! Oh man... Where's the others or Gallantmon better yet?!" Koushiro then sat down with his legs crossed and shrugged his shoulders. "Meh. It doesn't matter." Tentomon was horrified by Koushiro's statement. He wasn't even taking in anything, like he normally would... And worse yet, he doesn't feel any real reason to discover anything.

"Izzy! C'mon! At least say prodigious!" Tentomon begged Koushiro who looked at him and responded "Why? There's no reason for that. I mean, it's not like there's anything intriguing out here or anything..." Tentomon felt his heart sink in his chest. Suddenly, they were greeted by Vademon who said "Greetings my newest guests! I am Vademon! You are hereby permitted to explore this dimension as much as possible and do whatever you want! Without any restrictions whatsoever... Except that, I need your Digivice and cards..." Koushiro just simply nodded and gave up his Digivice to Vademon along with his cards. "IZZY! You just gave up your Digivice! Just like that!?" Tentomon yelled to Koushiro who was walking around the meteorite before walking literally on nothing. "Tentomon, it doesn't matter. He said we could do whatever we wanted in this world. So I'm gonna do just that..." He then started making random poses... As though he were doing a human version of the English alphabet... Tentomon was just sitting there, staring slack jawed at his Tamer... Who before would have given his life before handing over the only connection he had to Tentomon. Tentomon felt tears about to flow in his eyes...

Later on, Simon and co. had arrived in Vademon's dimension looking around for Koushiro. "You guys see anything?" Takeru asked the others who all seemed to shake their heads. Takeru kept on looking... Until he saw what appeared to be Koushiro trying to make the letter "M" with his body... But just isn't able to do it. "Um guys? I think I found him." Takeru said to the others who then followed him down where Koushiro was floating. Taichi then approached Koushiro and said "Hey uh, Izzy... I don't think M is physically possible..." Koushiro just looked at the Tamers and their partners before saying "Eh. I'm sure someone had to come find me eventually." Simon felt a bit weirded out by his lack of curiosity as to why they're here. "Hey uh, Izzy... Could you come with us to Vademon's shop? Cause we need to get something back." Takeru asked Koushiro,shook his head and responded "No thanks. Besides, there's nothing really for me to do, except whatever I want. So for now, I'd like to continue my attempt at the alphabet... If you don't mind."

Taichi grabbed Koushiro's hand and said "Actually, we do mind! Aren't you concerned for your parents? Or what about Tentomon? Is he here?!" Koushiro then answered "Tentomon is fine, he's just crying for some reason. And I don't really have parents. I've been adopted this whole time. So there's my answer." This shocked Takeru who muttered "He's adopted!?" To himself while Taichi and Simon seemed to keep on persisting. "Izzy, you know damn well what I mean! And besides, Tentomon is probably worried sick about you and- Oh my god..." Simon said before looking at Tentomon's current state as he's approaching Simon and co. He seemed to be slowly fading away. "T-T-Tentomon... What's happening to you?" Agumon asked Tentomon who responded "No... Izzy... He's lost all his curiosity... And now... He doesn't care to know anything at all... Not about me... Or even about you guys... It's as though he lost all his heart..." Simon was visably shaken by Tentomon's current state and didn't know what to think... Knowing Guilmon for quite a few years is leaving him concerned for the red dragon's possible state of being in jeopardy... Should he stop caring about him that is...

They looked over at the building inside the dimension and all seemed to have the same thought. "Let's kill this bastard!" Taichi and Takeru went on ahead, but Taichi said to Simon "Keep an eye on him." Simon shrugged his shoulders and responded "I've got an obligation to get him back home anyway, so might as well. Just be careful alright?" Taichi nods before taking Agumon with him to go up against Vademon. Simon then looked at Koushiro who seemed to still be ignoring Tentomon and trying to form a "M" with his body. Guilmon was looking at Tentomon and fearing for his life. "Koushiro. I know you've lost your curiosity somehow... But you gotta at least try to help! I mean, look at your friend Tentomon! He'll die if you stop caring about him." Koushiro seemed to feel a bit confused at Simon's statement before Tentomon came up to him and said "Izzy. We're friends... And friends... Are supposed... To... Care... For one... Another... No matter... How absurd... The reason is..." Koushiro then continued to look at Tentomon, as though he were trying to ponder something. "Look Koushiro, your parents told me to find you. They're just as worried as your biological parents would be! So you gotta at least try! Try to find some reason to care about Tentomon! He needs you more than ever!"

Koushiro then felt something click in his head... As though making him realize that, having a lack of curiosity really does more harm than good. He then quickly embraces Tentomon and says "I'm sorry Tentomon. For everything that's happened so far... So what's say you and I get my curiousity back?" Tentomon felt himself recover in a way and returned the hug to Koushiro. Simon was quite relieved with his work and felt some form of suspicion creep on him. "What's wrong?" Guilmon asked Simon who responded "Well, I feel like that pest is watching me... Mocking me... And finding every excuse to call me flawless..." Koushiro looked at Simon in more confusion before carrying Tentomon towards where he knew Vademon's facility to be. "Well, at least now we've got something to do buddy." Simon said to Guilmon before floating up along with Koushiro. They reached the door, when Koushiro slowly peeled the door open. Though Simon was surprised at Vademon's lack of a bell on said door.

Taichi and Takeru were with Vademon who was patiently waiting for their request. "So then fellas... What can I get you? I've got various data of numerous Digimon, spare appendages, internal organs and traits that will help you succeed in life." Vademon asked the two before Takeru opened up with "I'd like to see if you had any... Digivices... Mine's a bit broken, so I would like to see if you've got another one. Also, a new set of cards would help..." Vademon seemed a bit weary on Takeru's request, and responded "I see. So you're not just some humans with Digimon that, happened to wander in here by mistake like you claimed at the door... You're Digimon Tamers. And not just any, Digimon Tamers..." Vademon then unveiled a whole slew of posters which have pictures of every member of the Digimon Tamers that fought against Vamdemon and the Bagra Army. "I've been told by my associate, to kill any one of these twelve tamers should I see them. And now that you're here... How about letting me capture, or kill you..." Vademon said before pulling out a ray gun to Takeru who immediately raised his arms in the air.

Simon cued Koushiro to go while Vademon is distracted. "Tch, Okuwamon is supposed to be here in a few hours... And yet, these trespassers pull this nonsense on me! I don't have time for this unprofessionalism. BEGONE FIENDS!" Vademon said to the others before putting his finger on the trigger. "Wait!" Simon yelled to Vademon who turned towards him. "Perhaps we could come to a compromise..." Simon said to Vademon, while slowly approaching him. "Oh please, what could you possibly do good sir?! You're interrupting my execution of these imbeciles, and now you're suggesting there's something to offer!?" Suddenly Vademon felt his gun taken out of his hand. "H-H-How did you do that?! Are you some kind of miracle worker?!" Vademon asked while panicking. "If I were a miracle worker, I wouldn't need any friends to get here. And plus, I'd just be a wandering prophet... Who'd spread so much joy to others, that people like yourself would find me to be a godlike figure. But guess what, I'm not a godlike figure at all. I'm just a guy who happens to be capable of healing from severe wounds... Except for decapitation... And total disintegration."

Koushiro was looking around in a hidden section of the storehouse with Tentomon... Until he found a jar along with his Digivice and cards. Though below it said "Reserved for Okuwamon" in binary. Luckily, Koushiro and Tentomon are able to read binary in order to deduce this fact. Koushiro then opened the jar which contained his curiosity and placed said liquid back into his chest. Suddenly, he felt surprisingly cheerful. "Prodigious! I'm back to normal!" Koushiro said out loud. Though that, ended up catching Vademon's attention... Who was still on the ground, waiting for Simon to back off. Koushiro then equipped his Digivice on his belt, along with his cards... And slashed an evolution card for Tentomon to evolve into Kabuterimon. He then tore the area a new one, thus alerting his prescense to the others and Vademon. "No! You should be dead inside! How!? How did you come back to attack me!?" Vademon yelled to Koushiro who responded "After quite a few words from my friends and that Shadow Tamer guy over there... I had regained my incentive to care for Tentomon. Therefore, I willed myself to get my curiosity back. And guess what Vademon... You're going out of business..."

Vademon then quivered in fear for a brief bit... Before using some psychic powers to launch meteors at the group. However, they were able to get out with some quick thinking and Vademon realized that... He just destroyed his own warehouse. "NOOOOOOO!" He yelled before sobbing. Agumon then sighed and said "Geez, he's really that petty? Sobbing over something he could probably rebuild in no time! Jeez!" Kabuterimon felt a sweat drop fall from his head. Though the group then noticed a wormhole appear nearby Vademon, and out came Okuwamon... Who seemed less surprised than most would expect him. "I should've known you would be incapable of holding one Tamer in here..." Okuwamon said to Vademon, who turned towards Okuwamon and responded "Oh shut up and just help me already!" Simon and co. were prepared to fight against two Ultimates... Though Koushiro wasn't sure if Kabuterimon could fight against both Digimon at once. Until he remembered the first time Tentomon evovled into Kabuterimon...

Simon and co. had evolved their partners to Ultimate level, while Koushiro was looking through his cards for something that could make Kabuterimon into an Ultimate Level. Meanwhile, WarGrowlmon was busy fending off Okuwamon... Wanting to have a rematch against said Digimon. Although, RizeGreymon and MagnaAngemon were having a surprisingly hard time with Vademon... Who kept on using his abilities to manipulate meteors to hit his targets. MagnaAngemon used his Excalibur to cut through each meteorite. While, RizeGreymon was blasting each rock that was flying at him. Suddenly, he decided to crush both of them in two meteorites. Kabuterimon tried to assist WarGrowlmon with Okuwamon... Only to be tossed aside immediately. But then, Okuwamon started to activate his X-Antibody... WarGrowlmon immediately de-evolved back into Guilmon before heading back to Simon in order to Spiral Matrix Evolve into Gallantmon. Koushiro was quite surprised to see a mega form amongst them.

"So that's Gallantmon..." Koushiro said before turning his attention back to Kabuterimon. He then seemed to find a blue card within his deck somehow, despite not having that card in his deck prior to this whole incident. "Izzy... If you're gonna use that card. Better use it now! Otherwise, Okuwamon's gonna get Taichi and the others!" Koushiro at first thought about the whole scenario... Seeing as though Gallantmon has the whole situation covered. But knowing that, he'd probably want to help out the team in more than just intelligence. "Alright Kabuterimon, you ready?" Kabuterimon nodded and Koushiro began to slash the blue card through his Digivice. "Card Slash! Evolution Activate!" Koushiro said upon slashing said card through his Digivice. Kabuterimon had began to glow, catching the attention of Vademon and Okuwamon. "Oh no..." Vademon said upon realizing what was currently happening. Okuwamon thought about his next tactic while barely holding his own against Gallantmon. He was then bashed by a shield to the face. "Let the evolution happen! You've put him through enough shit as it is!" Koushiro began to witness another change with his partner...

 **EVOLUTION._**

 **Kabuterimon Evolve to...**

Kabuterimon then grew slightly bigger... But most of his body is red instead of blue. Though his wings were covered by a shell that seemed to split into two pieces that were attached to his back. And the horn on his head ended up growing much longer.

 **MegaKabuterimon!**

The large beetle appeared before the entire group, and made it's appearance known with it's brief electirc aura. Koushiro scans his partner's new form with his Digivice. "MegaKabuterimon. Vaccine Type, Ultimate Level. Attacks are: Horn Buster, Electro Shocker and Wild Scratcher." Koushiro said quoting his Digivice. MegaKabuterimon then charged head first towards Vademon with his horn, now charged with electricity. " **Horn Buster!** " He said as that electricity covered his entire body. Vademon then threw some more meteorites... Only for MegaKabuterimon to pierce through every single one of them. Gallantmon looked at the display and thought to himself "I'm so proud of him..." MegaKabuterimon then hit Vademon right on the mark. " _My only regret... Was not killing those two idiots..._ " Vademon thought to himself as he started to dissolve into data. MegaKabuterimon felt triumphant... Until he realized that he left Koushiro completely unprotected. Gallantmon had turned his attention to Okuwamon X, who was once again holding Koushiro hostage.

He had thrown his shield at Okuwamon, who dodged the attack while still holding onto the boy. If the large insect had paid attention, he would've noticed that Gallantmon had his left hand behind his back. And he is now controlling the shield using his fingers. "Now then, after that attempt at my life Gallantmon... You have but one option: Surrender to me and my master, TyrantKabuterimon! If you comply, I promise to spare your pitiful life! But if not, this boy is as good as dead. Make your choice Gallantmon!" Koushiro looked at Gallantmon's eyes, which were now filled with a bit of resolve. Though he wasn't sure how this union between Tamer and Digimon were possible, but he knew that deep down... Gallantmon had a plan, and wasn't about to surrender to Okuwamon. MegaKabuterimon saw Gallantmon's fingers behind his back, and began to charge up another horn buster. "Hey! Didn't you hear me!? I said, surrender or the boy dies!" Okuwamon yells to Gallantmon and co. But then Takeru asks "I'm guessing you haven't seen Captain America have you?" Okuwamon was confused... Until the shield that missed him ended up hitting him from behind.

* * *

After the impact, he dropped Koushiro and MegaKabuterimon then charged at him with a fully charged Horn Buster... Which after a while pierced right through him. Gallantmon sighed with a bit of relief and looked at Koushiro with a proud look on his face. Proud at the fact that, now the new Tamers were practically capable of fending for themselves... And that he hardly had to do anything. After MagnaAngemon opened a portal back to the human world, Koushiro thanked them for saving him. "Don't worry Izzy! We're all friends here... Even if you haven't met all of them yet." Taichi said to Koushiro who felt a little surprised at Taichi's cheerfulness. "So Izzy, you gonna thank Simon here for helping to organize this operation?" Takeru asked. Simon then punched Takeru on the head and said sarcastically "Next time, bring a megaphone if you want to announce who I am to these people!" Koushiro was a little surprised by this revelation and asked "Wait, you mean Simon Ackerman? One of the only American students in our school?" Simon then sighed before removing the hood, mask and lifting his goggles up. "Huh... I didn't think that you'd be into those kinds of comics..." Koushiro said to Simon, who then responded "Just don't tell anyone about this alright?"

Koushiro nodded before taking Tentomon with him back to his home. "So Simon, what's next?" Guilmon asked Simon who answered "Well for now, I'd say we go home... Get some rest... And hopefully be ready for TyrantKabuterimon wanting to do this himself." Taichi was quite surprised by that sudden declaration. "So wait, TyrantKabuterimon might be coming to Shinjuku to fight us?" Agumon asked out of curiosity... To which Simon and the others nodded in response. "Taichi, I swear it's still christmas around here! I can just feel it! All we need, are the holiday decorations... And one of those christmas trees!" Taichi sighed before each of the Tamers went their separate ways back home. When Koushiro got home, his parents had embraced him and expressed quite a bit of worry for their boy. "Koushiro... I know this is probably a bad time... But we need to talk..." Mr. Izumi said to Koushiro who nodded in response to Mr. Izumi's words. He had told Koushiro about him being adopted... Only for Koushiro to say that he already knew that. Which was surprising to both of them... And after a while, things went back to normal for Koushiro Izumi...

 **Now that Koushiro has returned back to his family, Simon and co. can breathe a sigh of relief. However, what will TyrantKabuterimon do now that his second in command is deceased? Find out next time... On Digimon Tamers Crimson: Knights of Grim!**


	19. Werewolves, wear brass knuckles

The following is a non-profit Fanfiction. Digimon is owned by Toei Animation, Bandai, Akiyoshi Hongo and licensed by Saban Brands. Please support the official release, by buying the DVDs...

Digimon Tamers Crimson: Knights of Grim Episode 19: Werewolves wear brass knuckles...

In the Esthiem household, Impmon seemed a bit bored out of his wit. Mostly because after that Kuwagamon incident... He hasn't done anything as of late. Though he was at least entertained when he was allowed to spend time with Nia at the police station. When he went there after his visit to the Digital World... He ended up getting a new bandanna. Which was blue instead of orange and had a police emblem on it instead of a smiley face. Sometimes, he'd look at the bandanna and feel proud of himself. But other times, he felt he missed his old bandanna. "Well, it's like those cartoons always say... Out with my old self, in with my new self." He said to himself in the mirror. Back then, he would berate himself just for even existiting... Now though, he considers his redemption journey complete. "Hey Nia! We gonna do something today or what?!" Impmon yelled to his Tamer, who's downstairs talking with her father. Unfortunately, he noticed that they were discussing something important.

"Impmon, right now isn't the time. Daddy's having me come in to his workplace since he's shorthanded tonight." Nia said to Impmon who felt quite a bit sad. However, Nia's Digivice lit up and a hologram of a burly lion Digimon in a bancho getup, with his arms folded and a piece of grass in his mouth appeared before them. Impmon stared at that hologram in awe. "This is a recording for any available Tamer within the vicinity. Primary village is under attack by TyrantKabuterimon, and I hate to ask this... But I need anyone's help right now. Though I am a Mega Level Digimon, I require assistance against his army. So if anyone is able and willing to do so... I implore you to take the time to help me. I ask you, are you willing to save possibly millions of baby Digimon before they're born?" The bancho dressed lion then ended his transmission and the hologram disappeared from her Digivice. "I'll go there, and you won't need to follow me Nia." Impmon said to his Tamer who was confused by his sudden declaration.

Nia looked down at Impmon and responded "But what if you're killed? I mean, you can't turn into Beelzemon without me!" Impmon sighed and said "Don't worry Nia, I'll be fine! Besides, I'm sure someone'll be there to help me out in the Digital World." He then decided to walk out the door and head towards Shinjuku park. Erwin had a raised eyebrow and said "I'm assuming that Digimon must've been a part of the Leomon evolutionary line. Which is probably why he decided to go on his own." Nia then looked through the data she received through her Digivice, and immediately came upon the Digimon on the hologram. "BanchoLeomon. Vaccine Type, Mega Level. Attacks are: Flashy Bantyo Punch and King Lion." Nia said quoting her Digivice. Erwin then grabbed his suitcase and had Nia follow him to his car. "Alright Nia, we have to get to my office now." Erwin said to Nia who nodded before getting into the passenger seat of the car. Impmon meanwhile, was waiting patiently for someone to go to Shinjuku park... Due to that being the place where most Tamers frequent when it comes to meeting places.

What he did end up getting, was Yamato and Gabumon instead of anyone else. "Oh geez, and here I thought at least Simon would show up. But now I got this schmuck to babysit...? Eh, whatever! At least he'll be entertaining for a while." Yamato Ishida and Gabumon were standing in the park... Because Yamato felt like trying to be a hero like Simon and hoping to win over Takeru. "But Matt, doesn't TK already care about you like a brother?" Gabumon asked Yamato out of confusion. Yamato then responded "He may be my biological sibling... But I want to prove that I can do this whole hero shindig as well as that Simon nimrod. Besides, all he does is give you stuff and then leave so that the Shadow Tamer can do all the work! It's just... So aggravating!" He was gripping his Digivice hard, almost to the point of breaking it. However, he couldn't help but notice someone was laughing at his predicament. Impmon was hearing all that Yamato was saying, and he couldn't resist the temptation to laugh at his apparent lack of knowledge on Simon. Yamato commanded Gabumon to shoot down whoever was laughing at him... Only for his blast to be absorbed by Impmon's flame.

"Oh relax buddy, it's called a sense of humor. I'm not here to fight you... Mock you maybe, but not to fight you and your little pet there." Impmon said to Yamato who was now raising an eyebrow at Impmon. Gabumon was also quite confused by Impmon's prescense. "The name's Impmon by the way. Nia Esthiem's partner in crime as well as one of the nine founding members of the Digimon Tamers. Hi, how you doing?" Impmon said all while extending a hand to Yamato who scanned Impmon with his Digivice. "Do I look like the sort of random schmoe who would- Actually don't answer that question." Impmon said before realizing how most people tend to jump the gun. "What do you want Impmon? Cause right now, TK's busy spending time with Simon and the others doing god knows what right now! I mean, I come here on my day off from the band... Which by the way, we all agreed on... And I'm expecting to help some big burly Digimon deal with TyrantKabuterimon's army. Right now the only help I could get is you." Impmon then suddenly started to glow and evolve straight into Wizardmon. Yamato and Gabumon were quite shocked by this sudden evolution that occured right in front of them.

"You were saying?" Wizardmon asked Yamato who sighed and asked "Alright fine, but how are we getting to the Digital World if we don't have a heaven's gate?" Wizardmon then tapped his staff onto the ground and enveloped the group in a circle. This circle ended up glowing and teleporting the group to a far off location. Simon and co. then arrived at Shinjuku park and noticed that something was just here. Henry then noticed traces of a magic circle in the pavement and asked "You think Nia and Impmon went to the Digital World today?" Simon responded "I highly doubt that, considering that She's busy today with her dad. And right now, we're busy making sure that attack on Primary village isn't a ruse just for an invasion in Japan." Rika sighed and responded "Well at least there's some explanation for your lack of intiative to that transmission." Simon sighed and sat down on a rock, before cueing the group together and saying "Okay, so we need to think of some countermeasures for this new army invading us... So what have we got besides Mon-power?" Everybody seemed quite confused at Simon's question and Henry said "Well, perhaps we'd only need a fraction of that Mon-power due to his army being fractured." Simon then pondered how they should fracture said forces...

* * *

Meanwhile in the Digital World...

Yamato, Gabumon and Wizardmon had arrived via teleportation. Yamato was quite confused as to why he was able to do this without a Heaven's gate. However, after Wizardmon warped them there, he reverted back into Impmon. "That certainly takes a lot outta me. This is an ability I can do naturally. But crossing dimensions with it, makes me use more power than usual. So now, I'm back to little old Impmon." Impmon said to Yamato who seemed less confused by that answer. "So, where are we in the Digital World?" Yamato asked both Impmon and Gabumon. Gabumon then responded "This, is primary village... Or the village of beginnings, whatever you want to call it." Yamato and the others walked through the village looking at all the Digi-Eggs scattered throughout each part of the area. Each of them, growing like plants and then hatching to explore their newfound world. For many Digimon, this was where it all started. Demon Lords, Royal Knights or even the almighty Archangels have likely started from this very place. Impmon felt quite a bit somber, considering that he was dejected by most of the Baby Digimon in the village... Due to him being Beelzemon, turned back into an egg. He then looked around to find out where any of the Baby Digimon might be, so that he could at least see if there's still some around...

Despite the years flying by so fast after he left. Yamato kept on looking with Gabumon, while being somewhat amazed at how everything looks so, calm and serene. "So Matt, I have a question to ask..." Gabumon said to Yamato who responded "Shoot." Gabumon thought about the question and asked "How are humans born? Do they have eggs like Digimon, or is it a bit different in your case?" Yamato raised both his eyebrows at that question and answered "When we get home... Someone's gonna have to give you "The Talk"." Impmon who heard that conversation was trying to not laugh at their predicament. Though, that was all interrupted by the guardian of Primary Village himself BanchoLeomon. "So, your leader must have quite a bit of faith in his teammates... Seeing as he only sent one Tamer/Digimon team and another Digimon of said team." BanchoLeomon said to the group who all raised eyebrows at him. "He didn't send us. We went here of our own volition. Plus, he isn't coming here, because we don't need him!" Yamato said to BanchoLeomon who raised his hands up in a bit of a panic.

Impmon was not only surprised to see that this Leomon, was surprisingly non-chalant about this situation. And wondered why he would need reinforcements to protect all of the Digi-Eggs when he's a powerful Mega Level. At first, he thought that maybe TyrantKabuterimon would actually target the village himself... Being possibly an Ultra Level like Omnimon. But at the same time, worried about Tentomon's power growing for some reason. "Hey uh, big guy... Before you go on about your big plan to defeat TyrantKabuterimon's army, you mind if we have a private chat?" Impmon asked BanchoLeomon who looked over at Impmon's direction. Though despite not knowing him that well, he does seem to have some connection to Impmon. "You must be that Impmon who traveled with one of my brothers... Very well then, let's have a private conversation. I'm sure that your friends there won't mind." Yamato crossed his arms and said "Okay fine, but if you keep us waiting... Don't blame me if I decide to eavesdrop on you." Impmon went with BanchoLeomon to an isolated area away from Yamato. The Tamer in question is still looking in Impmon's direction.

"I'm sure Impmon's a good Digimon. Why would he bring just us here, if he's one of the founding members of the Digimon Tamers?" Gabumon asked Yamato who answered "Simple, That prick in the real world... Somehow knew I'd want to try being heroic just to show him up. So he sent his Girlfriend's Digimon out here, knowing that I'd be here wanting to save the day and completely sabotage BanchoLeomon just so TyrantKabuterimon's forces could zerg rush, and destroy us in one fell swoop!" Gabumon then sweat dropped at Yamato's statement and responded "I don't think Simon would ever want to do that! Besides, he doesn't seem like the type who'd want to off people he doesn't like." Yamato sat down and asked "Do you personally know Simon?" Gabumon shook his head in response. Yamato then said "Exactly! Since we don't know him, we never know what he does nor how he goes about doing it! And it's very likely that he somehow got some dirt on me after that brief visit with TK, and now all I have to go on... Is that he's supposedly this fearless leader, who inspires hope in all of his friends while getting inspiration from those closest to him. And I'm concerned that, this person is liable to wanting me hurt or maimed at this point in time!" Gabumon felt quite down at this point, not being able to counter any of Yamato's points...

* * *

BanchoLeomon and Impmon were at a lake in primary village. On the way there, they saw many baby level Digimon who were surprised at BanchoLeomon having a guest within the perimeters. Although, Impmon was more worried about how the Baby Digimon would look at him... Considering what he is. The two sat down on the lakeside and looked down at the water's surface. Impmon looked at BanchoLeomon and asked "So... Who starts the conversation?" BanchoLeomon answers "I remember you from back when I was an Elecmon. You had just evolved into a Yaamon, but it was because of the fact that, you were a Demon Lord reduced to a small Digimon that made everyone loathe you. I wish that I could've done something about all this. But you took it upon yourself to try and purge yourself from this world and become a part of another Digimon. So naturally, I tried to make sure no one else would make anyone feel dejected. I had already lost one egg that appeared in my home before you... I'm not going to lose anyone else to this evil..." Impmon was somewhat surprised by BanchoLeomon's answer and asked "Well, since you're one of the Leomon tribe members... Do you blame me? For what happened to your buddy in the hub zone?"

BanchoLeomon shook his head and responded "You need to understand that, for every atrocity you may have committed as Beelzemon in the past... You have more than made up for it with your heroic deeds, as part of the Digimon Tamers. Though you may be the Demon Lord of Greed, you ended up getting what you wanted most at least three times in a row. First you wanted a good fight against a strong Digimon... And twice you wanted someone to be your friend. Nowadays, it appears that you have plenty of friends to be around." Impmon felt quite a bit of relief wash over him with BanchoLeomon's response. "Y'know, back then... I used to have nightmares about what happened all those years ago. But ever since I met Nia, I felt the nightmares slowly but steadily away. And at least I don't have to constantly save her like most comic book female leads." Impmon said to BanchoLeomon who put a hand on Impmon's head. "Well, at least now I know that I'll have a friend fighting side by side with me." BanchoLeomon said to Impmon who smiled before nodding enthusiastically.

After Impmon and BanchoLeomon met back up with Yamato and Gabumon, they discussed the plans to defend Primary village. "So we need to make sure each of the Baby Digimon are hidden away before we could even have a fight here. So, we'll need to find a good hiding spot for each and every one of them." Yamato then pondered where in the Digital World they could all hide in. Impmon then thought of an idea. "Okay, so what if... We found a cave that can fit all these little guys, and then place them in said cave. While we fought. That way, they won't have to be around when we fought against the bug army... And we can fight without holding back." BanchoLeomon then looked around for an area where the little Digimon could hide... Until he remembered a cave that he used to take the young Digimon to for exploration purposes. "I got it! And it's in the area as well..." BanchoLeomon then ran towards where the baby Digimon were and signaled them all to come to him. "Listen, there's gonna be a big battle around here... So I want you all to head over to the explorers cave before nightfall, understand!" BanchoLeomon yelled to all the babies who then did as he said and went into said cave. They each went in a single file line and bunched up in there with eggs that were transported by Yamato, Gabumon and Impmon, who evolved into Wizardmon due to necessity.

"Mr. Wizardmon? Can I ask you a question?" One of the little Digimon asked Wizardmon who responded "Ask away little one..." The small Digimon thought about the question and then asked "Is there really gonna be a big battle out here? And... Is he in danger?" Wizardmon patted the little Digimon's head and answered "Listen little guy. There's no way that BanchoLeomon could lose to any of those punks out there! And we're here to make sure that nothing bad happens to him!" The little Digimon then bounced into Wizardmon's arms and said "Thank you Wizardmon! Just promise us that you'll help him through and through!" Wizardmon sighed and responded "As long as the objective takes, I'll defend this place with BanchoLeomon! You can count on that little guy!" The little Digimon nodded to Wizardmon who then put up a magic barrier around the cave entrance, just for insurance. Though he made it so that nothing can go into the cave... Unfortunately, the same could not be said for the inside of the barrier...

* * *

Meanwhile at TyrantKabuterimon's hideout...

For a while now, TyrantKabuterimon had planned to take Primary Village by storm... And then head over to the human world. Unfortunately for him, BanchoLeomon had played a significant part in dissolving his already fractured army. He was now reduced to a few Kuwagamon and Waspmon. Though GranKuwagamon was now the new second in command due to Okuwamon's demise at the hands of MegaKabuterimon... That didn't quell the inner rage that TyrantKabuterimon was experiencing. His army was now merely a handful of Digimon, and his once proud second in command was now deceased. Now the only thing he can do... Is take over Primary Village, get his own army and then target the human world. "My lord, I believe we have a visitor in our perimeters." One of the Kuwagamon reported before revealing the visitor to be... An egg with legs and a large hole in the center where his eyes are. "Well, well, well... If it isn't the famous TyrantKabuterimon... So nice to finally meet you in person. Tis a shame what happened to your little army. Help is not easy to find these days..."

TyrantKabuterimon felt a need to destroy rising inside of him until the Egg Digimon said "Wow, even saying that pisses you off. Alright, the point is... I wanna offer my services in exchange for whatever you can offer." TyrantKabuterimon then pondered what he could offer to this new Ultimate level Digimon. "Alright then, Digitamamon, how about this? You go to Primary village with my current army and take it by storm... And in the meantime, I'll infiltrate the human world with Grankuwagamon. And once all that's done, you can have all the X-Antibodies you could ever ask for! How does that sound?" Digitamamon then pondered TyrantKabuterimon's offer before saying "Deal! But first, I need a sample of your X-Antibody!" TyrantKabuterimon pointed him towards the chamber that had the sap needed for this power. After consuming enough sap, he felt as though he could take on the world. "Alright troops! Let's move out!" Digitamamon yelled to the small force who then lifted him with their arms and flew towards Primary Village. Though TyrantKabuterimon and GranKuwagamon decided to fly upwards instead of foward. "Once we get through this hole... The human world will be ours! And Primary Village will provide us with our own personal army!"

Though it seemed as though they left on a quiet note, one piece of Yggdrasil had picked up on TyrantKabuterimon's plan. It then ended up relaying that information back to it's host. "So it seems TyrantKabuterimon has finally decided to move from his post. At least now it's just one less obstacle from utter domination..." Yggdrasil said to Grima who then responded "Interesting... So he thinks he's capable of wiping out the Digimon Tamers... Just by picking the small fry and hoping the big fish come to him." Yggdrasil then asked "My lord, I have to ask... How do you know these outcomes? Though I know of where you come from, it's not like you were there for every minor detail..." Grima smiled and answered "You're right... I couldn't possibly know everything, due to there being limitless possibilities on how everything goes on. Despite repeating a scenario that's been played in your head numerous times, you feel like there's a way everything can change. Normally there would be no need for all of this pointless drama, but at times it feels like every decision we make... Leads to different reactions and different ways things end. And as you are aware, the one thing I want... Is total victory over every little detail. So for now, I'd say let the self entitled mongrels die for all I care. For now, all we need to focus on... Is what happens in the next few years."

Yggdrasil then looked back towards the Digimon within his roots and responded "You're right my lord. But you still don't mind if I "pull" a few strings of my own right?" Grima shook his head and answered "Do not worry my loyal friend... You still have this entire tree in which to make your army much stronger. So, when the time comes... You may destroy whatever you please. And I will watch here, with an honest to goodness smile on my face as you burn everything to the ground." Yggdrasil took a little bit before giving a slasher smile and said "Oh yes my lord! I shall burn everything once we're ready! We just need maybe a few of these human years and everything will be set!" Grima then crossed his legs on the throne he sat in and responded "Good. Now how about we watch as TyrantKabuterimon fails at his schemes..."

* * *

As night fell, Wizardmon was sitting patiently, staring at BanchoLeomon's sleeping form. Yamato was keeping first watch throughout the night... Since he still wanted to one up Simon on his "heroics". Wizardmon went up to Yamato and said "For someone who claims he's above someone I know... You seem to be wanting to fill in that part." He then turned to face Wizardmon and responded "Like I'd ever want to be like that jerk. Besides, he's just a coward who hides from everybody when they need him most. I bet he would piss himself if he actually went out there and fought. Yet all of my friends are just really wanting me to find some way to get the Shadow Tamer's autograph." Wizardmon then sat cross-legged and cued Yamato to continue with his rant. "First of all, he's a hypocrite who practically brutalizes people and yet cares about children finding their families? What sane person would want to look up to that!? Second, he never shows his face and hides behind a hood, a mask and a pair of goggles... So what's there to even read from that!? And lastly, he looks like he just gets the people to support him just through his sheer charisma at times!"

Wizardmon then thought about all of those things that Yamato said and responded "I see, then I guess you must really want to know who the Shadow Tamer is don't you? Cause from what I gather, you want to impress someone by being somebody else. You talk about Simon and then the Shadow Tamer. But you never see anything those two could possibly have in common..." Yamato then grabbed Wizardmon by his cape and said "Besides his goggles, I can't think of how that coward and a brutal anti hero have anything in common! Let alone actually looking about the same height and... Oh my god..." Yamato then finally put two and two together. "And now the alarm clock has finally rung in your head." Yamato let go of Wizardmon and put his hand on a wall. Yamato said to Wizardmon "Don't say that! That's all a bunch of bullshit!" He then punched the wall in the village and said "He can't be the Shadow Tamer. It literally doesn't make sense..." Gabumon looked at Wizardmon and asked "Why would Matt be in denial after finding that out?" Wizardmon responded "Well... Let's just say after finding out a truth about something you didn't want to believe... You tend to be in denial." Gabumon then looked back at Yamato who was starting to get increasingly angry.

"If I had known that flawless coward would be the Shadow Tamer... I would have punched him in the face the moment he set foot in the concert hall. But no! I had to even find out about what his connection is to my little brother." Yamato was saying before he turned back to Wizardmon and said "I bet TK knew about this too! And probably Tai, Izzy and Sora as well! Am I right!?" Wizardmon sighed and answered "Yes. Everyone who is a Digimon Tamer, knows that Simon is the Shadow Tamer. Sora doesn't really care for his attitude, and Izzy is just surprised that someone like him is the Shadow Tamer. Yet here you are not even willing to accept that your brother is friends with a vigilante." Yamato then sat down with Gabumon, who tried to cheer him up. Though to little success. "Y'know Matt, you don't need to be friends with Simon. All we're asking is that you help out in his efforts to bring peace between two worlds..." Wizardmon said before extending a hand towards Yamato who rejected it.

"I'm not going to be a part of his little team. Taichi and the others may be fooled by his nonsense. But I'm not. Once we're done here, I'm gonna give that piece of shit a fist to his face. And then we'll see who's the real coward." Yamato said to Wizardmon who pondered how he'd react to that announcement. "Well now, someone's getting awfully hostile. But then again, I guess you and Simon really do have that at least in common." Yamato glared at Wizardmon after that statement about him and Simon. "What do I have in common with that All American Asshole!?" Yamato yelled at Wizardmon who just kept a stoic face towards him. "You both think you can do everything by yourself, when you're oblivious to the fact that you have friends who are more than willing to help you out. Though Simon learned that lesson the hard way... Multiple times..." Wizardmon said to Yamato who then decided to storm off from primary village and just give Wizardmon the next watch. Gabumon had decided to follow him in the village. "I'll go after him!" Gabumon said to Wizardmon as he followed Yamato deeper into the village. He then sat near a tree where he contemplated what Wizardmon had said about him and Simon being somewhat similar. "I'm not like him..." He muttered to himself repeatedly while looking down at the ground. Gabumon had decided to sit next to Yamato in the hopes that he'll come to his senses...

* * *

The next day, BanchoLeomon and Wizardmon were awake and ready for the day. "So then, where's Yamato and Gabumon?" BanchoLeomon asked Wizardmon who answered "Matt is currently angsting near a tree just because he figured out what Simon is." BanchoLeomon was a bit confused and asked "But isn't Simon Ackerman being the Shadow Tamer common knowledge to all Digimon? Or did I miss the point of it being a secret identity?" Wizardmon shrugged his shoulders and answered "It's a human thing. They would look up to these super heroes who have secret identities to keep, and anyone that does know it should make sure to avoid getting kidnapped, which luckily for me and Simon is easy since Nia is tough on her own..." BanchoLeomon then looked back to Wizardmon and said "Much like how you seem to be strong on your own. No matter how strong you become, you have to remember who got you this far. My brother didn't just die for you to forget about all the important people in your life." Wizardmon responded "I could never forget Leomon for his help with my path. And Nia for helping me accept who I am without any regrets. I'm simply Beelzemon, ex-Demon Lord and current member of the Digimon Tamers."

BanchoLeomon felt proud of Wizardmon, and looked in the distance where he saw some insect type Digimon along with Digitamamon. "So, TyrantKabuterimon really did want to split his army in two..." Wizardmon said, not surprised at the current predicament. Though BanchoLeomon was angry at this scenario. "How dare they?! He would have his army attack an innocent village and not lead them?! He's nothing more than a damned coward!" BanchoLeomon yelled before jumping down from the wall he and Wizardmon were standing on before going in front of Digitamamon, who lifted his leg to halt the troops. "So, I take it you're this BanchoLeomon that guards the place eh?" Digitamamon asked BanchoLeomon who responded "Where's your real leader?! The one who was supposed to face me?!" Digitamamon laughed for a bit and answered "He's going to conquer the humans in their world, while we get to destroy your pitiful village and claim all your little Digimon!" Wizardmon floated down towards his opponents while giving a scowl towards them. "So instead of using your time in dealing with our friends up there, you're here by yourselves... Commanded by an egg...? It's official this shit makes no sense anymore."

Digitamamon then looked over at Wizardmon and asked "And who are you to try and make us retreat?" Wizardmon then sighed and answered "You might know me better as Beelzemon, the former Demon Lord of Greed. Unfortunately, I can't access that form in my current state, but you get my drift. If you give me enough of your henchmen as data... I could probably turn into my next form on a whim as well..." Digitamamon then started laughing at Wizardmon's declaration. "You!? A demon lord!? That's only a legend! You have a long way to go before you could even declare yourself a demon lord! Besides, all you're here for is to be a spectator to me slaughtering BanchoLeomon with my mad skills!" Digitamamon said to Wizardmon before sending one of the Kuwagamon in his general direction. Wizardmon used thunder magic to utterly destroy it and take his data as his own. "Yeah, I'm gonna actually need a lot more guys to turn into Reapmon. Fortunately for you, there aren't nearly enough guys for me to do that. So I guess for now, you're stuck with little old me."

Digitamamon then commanded all of his troops to attack Wizardmon and BanchoLeomon. They seemed to be faring quite well against them. Though Wizardmon wasn't absorbing the data of the ones he killed, despite what he did earlier. BanchoLeomon was merely off-handedly dealing with the few Digimon that were coming at him while he tried to attack Digitamamon. Though he was then grabbed in the leg by a Kuwagamon who was holding him back from attacking Digitamamon. Wizardmon hit Kuwagamon with a fire blast and asked "You okay buddy?" BanchoLeomon responded "Well, I gotta say... This is quite a workout." Wizardmon then slammed his staff into the ground and caused lightning to strike all of the Digimon in the area. Although only three Canonbeemon survived the attack, they were swiftly dispatched by BanchoLeomon. "Now then, let's see if we can make a good omelet..." BanchoLeomon said before slowly approaching Digitamamon. However, before he could cut him up... He sensed that another Digimon was present. He raised his blade and deflected the blow from this swift Digimon. "How dare you get in my way!" BanchoLeomon said to the wasp-like knight that stood before him. Wizardmon recognized the Digimon... But he knew that it wasn't the one on their side...

* * *

Meanwhile...

Yamato seemed to still be underneath the same tree that he was under last night. He noticed that Gabumon had stayed with him the entire night. "Gabumon, can I ask you a question?" Yamato asked his partner who said "Well of course!" Yamato sighed and asked "Gabumon, do you think I really need to prove myself in order to get back TK's respect?" Gabumon seemed confused and responded "Well, he's your brother right?" Yamato nodded in response and Gabumon continued saying "If he's your younger brother, I'm sure he still has respect for you. It's not like he loses that with new friends. And to him, his friends are also your friends by proxy." Yamato cringed at the thought of Simon being his friend. But then, he remembered Taichi, Sora, and Koushiro also being Takeru's friends. Though he hasn't met Simon's group yet, he feels that they must be a strange crowd. "You know Gabumon, I really hate to admit this... But I guess I really am part of this Simon Ackerman's crew. So like or not I am going to have to team up with him... But this also means that I am going to slug him once this whole TyrantKabuterimon situation is done and over with!" Gabumon felt relieved that Yamato had regained his composure.

They then looked over at bolts of lightning that headed straight into the sky. "You think they're fighting right now?" Yamato asked Gabumon who nodded and said "That could be the case..." Yamato then swiped an evolution card through his Digivice and Gabumon transformed into Garurumon. He then mounted Garurumon and said "Well then, let's give them a helping hand!" Garurumon then ran as fast as he could towards the battlefield. Once they came across the area, they noticed that BanchoLeomon had gotten into a fight with what appeared to be a TigerVespamon. But not the one that Takeru mentioned in that coliseum. He also noticed Digitamamon and decided to scan him. "Digitamamon, Data Type, Ultimate Level. Attacks are: Enigma and Nightmare Syndrome." Yamato said quoting his Digivice. Digitamamon was charging at Wizardmon, who seemed to be teleporting away from the attacks and floating in the air. Garurumon jumped down with Yamato and asked Wizardmon "What did we miss?" Wizardmon then answered "Besides the small army he brought and BanchoLeomon having a hard time... Not much to be honest."

Yamato looked over at Digitamamon and said "You must be the one that lead this little mission... Sad to say, your mission was pretty much botched from the beginning." Digitamamon then responded "Really? Why's that? Is it because of BanchoLeomon, who still can't keep with TigerVespamon? Or does Wizardmon have a trump card that can turn him into this Reapmon of which he speaks of?" Yamato shakes his head and points to himself. "You're underestimating me. You didn't even know I was here... Granted I didn't show up intially, but I just had to get over myself and focus on beating you till you're completely scrambled." Digitamamon at first didn't know how to react to that declaration... Until he ended up giggling at Yamato's declaration. "You!? Are you out of your mind?! A champion level who couldn't damage me with his piercing thunder attacks couldn't hope to beat me... So what chance do you have Blondie?!" Yamato sighed and looked over at Wizardmon who then said "Since I'm stuck in this form, it really is gonna be up to you and Garurumon. Though, I am curious as to what you're gonna do."

Yamato smirked and looked over at Garurumon who nodded in agreement. Yamato had looked through his deck for something important. "Ha! What's a little trading card gonna do for you?! This isn't Yugioh! This is real life nimrod! You don't just use trading cards to gain super powers! You play with little kids and what not! No trading card you have will ever hope to beat me!" Yamato then held up a blue card nearby Digitamamon who was a bit confused. "Okay I give, what the hell is that gonna do?" He asked Yamato who responded "Simple... It's gonna decimate you..." Wizardmon was honestly quite shocked to see Yamato have a blue card on him, without having to go through any inner monologue just to get it. Meanwhile, Tigervespamon was a little distracted by the blue card's prescense... Which allowed BanchoLeomon to get a punch on him. "Now then, how about focusing on your fight before getting to the others...?" BanchoLeomon said before picking up TigerVespamon and throwing him towards some trees. "Card Slash! Super Evolution Activate!" Yamato said sliding the blue card through the scanner.

 **SUPER EVOLUTION._**

 **Garurumon Super Evolve to...**

Garurumon then suddenly started standing on two legs, while gaining a pair of torn jeans to wear. He also started sporting brass knuckles on both hands and wore a strap that held his left shoulder pad in place. Below the shoulder pad, was a sleeve that had zippers on the top and bottom of said sleeve. His front paws ended up adapting to hands for this transformation.

 **WereGarurumon!**

WereGarurumon then charged at Digitamamon who wasn't really expecting the attack. The punch ended up making a small crack in Digitamamon's shell. Wizardmon was honestly shocked to see this new form out of the blue. "Hold on, when did you even have time to work up to this form?" Wizardmon asked Yamato who responded "When I was training with Tai, while Davis and Ken were busy in that tournament. The only person I ended up telling about this, was TK. Now I gotta show off this evolution just to save the day." Wizardmon then sighed and later said "Honestly... I'm kind of impressed. Besides Simon and some of the founding members... I don't think some of the tamers really train. I'm one of them... But I feel like maybe I'd still need a little more practice with Nia." Yamato smirked and thought to himself "Oh wait till Ackerman gets a load of this..." WereGarurumon then approached Digitamamon and crouched before doing a flip with his legs fully extended saying " **Circle Moon Kick!** " While doing said action. This ended up knocking Digitamamon over onto his head... Which started to crack even further. WereGarurumon then triggered his claws to give off a red light, which seemed to signify a special attack.

"Hah! Like that's gonna work! If you kept punching me, then maybe I'd be a little worried there! But now I-" WereGarurumon then seemed to go straight through Digitamamon who was cut off from his sentence. " **Kaiser Claw...** " WereGarurumon said before calmly walking away from Digitamamon, who then exploded into data. "How'd I do Matt?" WereGarurumon asked Yamato who responded "You were like a dream come true. All we need now is one of those Mega forms and we're golden!" WereGarurumon then gave a thumbs up to Yamato. TigerVespamon meanwhile was having a hard time detecting BanchoLeomon, who then charged up power into his fist and shouted " **Flashy Bantyo Punch!** " Before firing a flaming lion fist at TigerVespamon... Who couldn't block it in time. The wasp knight was then disintigrated into nothing but data. BanchoLeomon felt satisfied at what he had accomplished and returned to primary village. Wizardmon had released the barrier over the cave where the baby Digimon were placed, and told them that everything turned out okay. Although, one thing ended up on the minds of Wizardmon, WereGarurumon and Yamato at the time...

"If we ended up getting all of TyrantKabuterimon's remnants... Then where is he now?" BanchoLeomon asked the trio to which they all had a sudden realization. Yamato then asked Wizardmon "Can you teleport us back to the human world?" Wizardmon then twirled around his staff and responded "Ask and ye shall recieve!" Before slamming the staff into the ground and teleporting the trio back to the human world. BanchoLeomon looked up to the Human World and said "Good luck, Digimon Tamers. And don't ever give up on whatever you believe to be right." He then turned his attention back to the baby Digimon, in the hopes that nothing is going to happen at this very moment...

 **Now that TyrantKabuterimon's forces have been destroyed, how will the Digimon Tamers in the human world fare against the big bad boss himself? Will Yamato make it in time to help with the fight? Find out next time, on Digimon Tamers Crimson: Knights of Grim!**


	20. Hercules Or Herakles?

The following is a non-profit Fanfiction. Digimon is owned by Toei Animation, Bandai, Akiyoshi Hongo and licensed by Saban Brands. Please support the official release, by buying the DVDs...

Digimon Tamers Crimson: Knights of Grim Episode 20: Hercules... Or Herakles...?

The same day Koushiro decided to spend time with Taichi after school on his day off, was the same day he and Sora were meant to go on a date. Though they had also opted to bring their Digimon along for the ride. So Tentomon was ultimately hanging out and talking with Agumon and Biyomon, while Taichi and the others were spending time on a park bench. Though Koushiro had brought his laptop with him to do some analysis on recent events regarding the Digimon that have appeared thus far. "Alright, now all I need is for the rest of the Tamers to give me their Digivices, and then we can compare our data of all of our enemies thus far and-" Koushiro was saying before he noticed Taichi and Sora kissing next to him. He sighs and just goes back to looking through the data on his Digivice. Simon and co. who were just in the park wondering what happened to Yamato, Gabumon and Impmon walked in on the whole thing and Simon notices Sora and Taichi kissing. "I wonder if me and Nia are like that at all..." Simon said to himself, to which both Taichi and Sora stop kissing and become incredibly flustered.

"You guys had no problem kissing in front of your friend there, so why is it when we're around?" Daisuke asked Taichi who responded "What about you and Kari?! Don't you get flustered when a bunch of people see you frenching?!" Daisuke sighed and responded "Yeah, but at least that large group of friends are aware of our relationship." Simon then adds "And almost the entire student body who even gossips about me knows about my relationship to Nia." Sora then approaches Simon and says "This isn't a contest of how many people know about a relationship! This is about you butting in on our business!" Simon raised an eyebrow at Sora's statement and she then realized the double meaning behind the words she just uttered. She then blushed heavily at that realization. "You do know that we're supposed to prepare for an epic showdown right?" Hikari asked regarding the whole situation and Koushiro perked up saying "In that case, I'm gonna need the data from your Digivices to see all of the enemy Digimon we've scanned so far." After Simon and the others did as he said, Henry asked "So you're Koushiro Izumi right?" Koushiro then turned to Henry and shook his hand.

"My name is Jianliang Wong. Or Henry as my friends call me." Henry then added as he was introducing himself. Koushiro was at first confused as to why one of Simon's friends was introducing himself to him. "It's nice to meet you Mr. Wong. I've actually heard about your dad back when he was part of the monster makers. Though, that was around the time I was looking through the internet for some articles of intrigue." Koushiro said to Henry who responded "And you're the head of the computer club that I ended up joining. Though I don't think we really got acquainted there..." Koushiro felt a bit bad for not remembering a member of the club he leads, but then he realizes that maybe now isn't the time to dwell on minor things. As he was compiling all the data from the Digimon each Digivice had on them... The Digivices began to beep as though signalling an oncoming invasion. They all got out of the park with Koushiro lagging behind due to having to close his laptop and place it back into his backpack for safe keeping. Simon brought his metal case with him, just so he'd be prepared for whatever happens and Henry had brought his armored gloves.

The fog seemed to be a bit larger than most bio-emergeances except for Vikaralamon, who was much bigger than any Digimon they ever came across. Though this seemed to be taking priority over that incident. Simon turned to face everyone and said "Alright, if you have an insect type Digimon, you'll probably end up a liability." Ken then asked Simon "Why's that?" Simon then answered "If what I heard is true, then he'll probably try to control both Wormmon and Tentomon and force them to do his bidding. So once again, try to find a safe place to hide until then!" Ken and Wormmon decided to go hide for now, while trying to have Koushiro follow along with him. After a bit, TyrantKabuterimon and GranKuwagamon appeared from the portal. "So, this is the human world... A somewhat small town within what's probably a larger world... Fitting." Henry then analyzed TyrantKabuterimon with his Digivice "TyrantKabuterimon, Virus Type, Mega Level. Attacks are: Shine of Bee and Bee Cyclone." Henry said quoting his Digivice, while Taichi analyzed Grankuwagamon. "Grankuwagamon, Virus Type, Mega Level. Attacks are: Dimension Scissors and Catastrophe." Taichi said quoting his Digivice.

"You humans don't seem to comprehend how we were able to bypass your barrier. Though you could easily thank me for that!" Grankuwagamon said, bragging about his ability to slice through dimensions with his incisors. Though, Simon wasn't really all that impressed. "So you can break dimensions using those incisors... When we have Digimon who are capable of going in between worlds at Champion level and Ultimate level. And here you are, showing off as a Mega level. Honestly, I'm still not that impressed. If you can open up a pickle jar with just one finger, then we'll talk." GranKuwagamon felt a bit depressed from Simon's lack of surprise at how he did it. They then noticed that the majority of the group present isn't all that impressed either. "I see. My apologies TyrantKabuterimon, these humans seem to be a bit more versed in dimensional travel than I thought." GranKuwagamon said to TyrantKabuterimon who responded "What can you expect? These are the same Digimon Tamers who were capable of traveling to the Digital World and utterly destroy Vamdemon's army, as well as half of Bagramon's army. From the time I have served Yggdrasil, I've learned that these Digimon Tamers have quite a resume. Though I didn't buy it at first due to them being merely children, I now see that these children destroyed my entire army... I have no choice but to take Yggdrasil's word for all of this. And once I destroy you and take Primary village, I will destroy Yggdrasil and his master once and for all!"

Simon and co. seemed to be confused by TyrantKabuterimon's declaration during his response, but then Simon and Rika both face-palmed at TyrantKabuterimon's words. "Really? What did he do to you? Not give you the power you crave?" Renamon said to TyrantKabuterimon who then responded "You know what? I'm going to remove some of you from the game!" He then summoned bees from his hands which grabbed all the tamers except for Taichi, Simon and Sora. Ken and Koushiro were still hiding and they saw the bees send them into the park and make a barrier in front of them, preventing them from leaving the park. Luckily no civilians were present so the bees weren't really a noticeable threat. Simon was inwardly cringing at the sight of the bees nearby and tried to make sure TyrantKabuterimon didn't know about his feelings about bees...

Simon then focused his attention on TyrantKabuterimon and asked "So why'd you do that? You don't think you can take on all of us? Or what?" TyrantKabuterimon looked at Simon with a significant amount of malice and answered "Because I want your undivided attention. If you so much as decided to jump towards a building just to watch me destroy your friends, then how can I be assured that you're here for me to destroy?" Simon thought about TyrantKabuterimon said and then said "Wait, so let me get this straight... You're a Yandere correct?" Unfortunately for the Mega Level insects, they were both confused by what the word Simon said meant. "What is a Yandere?" TyrantKabuterimon asked Simon, who looked over at Guilmon, who then shrugged his shoulders to tell his Tamer that he didn't know why he was asking. "A Yandere is someone who basically loves a person... To the point that they'd kill all the competition and possibly inflict harm on the object of their affection." GranKuwagamon was starting to giggle at the prospect of his master falling in love with a human.

TyrantKabuterimon however, wasn't very amused. "You dare suggest that I would want you!? Out of all the humans in the world, you'd think I would desire for you!? The insanity level on you is almost on par with Yggdrasil! You humans must be the most unstable creatures on this whole planet!" TyrantKabuterimon yelled into Simon's face. "Considering how things are now, you might not be too far off. We have all this technology and you guys are more than proof of that... And yet all we do with it is make stupid cat videos..." TyrantKabuterimon was now starting to feel more disdain for the human right in front of him. "Somehow, you humans constantly prove my point. You're all insignificant pests who don't deserve to have all this power. And you especially! Digimon being forced to fight for your amusement, Megidramon wanting to be a part of you, and especially this new spiral energy!" TyrantKabuterimon said to Simon who then responded "Humans have more potential than you think. The buildings around you, the fact that you even exist and the technological advances we do have prove that we can do more than you say we do." TyrantKabuterimon seemed a bit surprised at Simon's speech, but it only served to anger him further. That is, until he had a plan in mind...

* * *

Meanwhile in Yggdrasil's tree...

On the crystal ball in the throne room, TyrantKabuterimon and Simon were currently in an argument... Being watched over by Yggdrasil and Grima. Yggdrasil had taken a seat at one of the steps below the throne, while Grima sat upon the chair. The strangest thing, is that Grima and Yggdrasil had a large bucket of popcorn... As though they were watching a two and a half hour movie. "The hub area was surprisingly generous when it came to this delicacy. Although, I do have to wonder... How did they manage to make this even more delicious?" Grima said to Yggdrasil, who had decided to try some and responded "It is an interesting treat like you said... But it still seems tasteless to me." Grima shrugged his shoulders and continued to watch the argument. "So then TyrantKabuterimon, you've isolated most of his team so that you are in front of your opponent. Tell me... What are you going to do? Now that he's right there waiting for you to make the first move?" Grima said regarding the whole situation. Yggdrasil responded "So to get things straight here, we're rooting for the human you despise so much?"

Grima nodded and answered "Well, he may be my mortal enemy... But I'm the only one who gets to annihilate him once and for all. TyrantKabuterimon is just a minor inconvenience that can be circumvented. Though Bagramon will be the main concern after this. Since he is an Ultra level like that of Omnimon, and Gallantmon's new form... He'll be someone who might pose a legitmate threat to me and my plans should he get in my way." Yggdrasil then said "Well, with the way things are going right now... Wouldn't you say that he's of no concern? Or is that also part of underestimating your enemies?" Grima sighed and responded "Well Yggdrasil, let me tell you this... The Bagra army is currently on par with the army you've produced in this tree. And Vamdemon is gone along with his faction, and soon TyrantKabuterimon will suffer the same fate. Though I do have to wonder... What do you think this monstrocity will do now that he's here?" Yggdrasil pondered Grima's question and answered "Simple. He'd use his ability to sense the insect type Digimon in the area and use his mind control on at least one of them." Grima smirked and said "Right you are my loyal servant... Right. You. Are..." They then continued eating popcorn while the whole battle was going down... Likely placing bets on who wins...

* * *

Back with Simon and co...

TyrantKabuterimon was still engaging in a glaring contest with Simon, while Taichi and Sora were looking at each other with awkward stares. "So then boy... Would you care for a demonstration of my true power boy? Compared to the so called "power of the human race"?" TyrantKabuterimon asked Simon before summoning a small crystal that seemed to show where Koushiro, Tentomon, Ken and Wormmon were located. Simon looked at that crystal and thought to himself "Oh shit..." The moment he realized that meant TyrantKabuterimon knew exactly where Koushiro and Ken were. Suddenly, he focused a bit on Tentomon and said "How about I bring this little one here to face off with you...?" He then made the crystal glow and it teleported Tentomon to where he is. Meanwhile, Koushiro was panicking as to what happened to Tentomon... Until he saw Tentomon in TyrantKabuterimon's grasp. "I don't need a useless Wormmon to defeat you. All I need is just a Tentomon with the ability to turn Ultimate Level!" Simon then put the core drill in his Digivice and turned into Gallantmon. "Let him go!" Gallantmon said before charging directly at TyrantKabuterimon... Who then had GranKuwagamon block Gallantmon's assault.

"Get the hell out of my way!" Gallantmon shouted to GranKuwagamon who responded "TyrantKabuterimon gave me my orders... And they were to keep you from interfering with the death of your friend here!" Gallantmon looked over at Koushiro, who was trying anything on his digivice just to get Tentomon back. Unfortunately, it felt like the connection was lost between the two. Suddenly, Tentomon ended up evolving straight into MegaKabuterimon... But seemed heavily possessed by TyrantKabuterimon who then said "As you can see Izumi, it's no use... Your partner Digimon is now mine! Now MegaKabuterimon, if you would be so kind..." MegaKabuterimon then approached Koushiro with his teeth bared. Ken meanwhile, was still holding onto Wormmon, just to make sure he doesn't try anything with him. As MegaKabuterimon came close to eating his Tamer, Sora slashed a blue card through her Digivice which made Biyomon evolve straight into Garudamon... Who ended up shoulder charging MegaKabuterimon, in an attmept to stop him. Though he didn't take that much damage, he was in fact moved away from his target.

"Don't worry Izzy, we'll hold him off!" Sora said to Koushiro to give him reassurance. Taichi then added "Don't worry Izzy! Just because TyrantKabuterimon took him over, doesn't mean that he's no longer your partner!" Koushiro asked "So you mean we can get him back?!" Taichi nodded and answered "But it's your bond with him that's gonna have to do the job." Koushiro wasn't sure what he was supposed to do with the bond between him and his partner. He hasn't even gotten a new card for evolving Tentomon further. "Am I supposed to look inside myself even further?" Koushiro asked himself before actually deciding to think on that detail. Taichi then used Spiral Matrix Evolution to get to VictoryGreymon, who went to help Gallantmon with GranKuwagamon. He shoulder charged the enlarged beetle and said "You're lucky we're here to help you!" Gallantmon sighed and responded "Yeah and for now, just help me kill this guy!" However, when GranKuwagamon came out... He seemed to be going through a change. "Is he evolving?" VictoryGreymon asked Gallantmon who shook his head and responded "I don't think it's as simple as that. I think he might be changing into a new form. Suddenly, GranKuwagamon took on an appearance akin to Stingmon... Only a bit bigger.

He seemed to have a triple set of claws on each hand and black armor all over. He even came with X shaped wings on his back. "Though you might consider me a bit insignificant, but TyrantKabuterimon had gifted me with a new talent. Which allows me to switch between mega forms at will!" Sora then analyzed the new form of GranKuwagamon. "GrandisKuwagamon, Virus type, Mega Level. Attacks are: Grandis Scissors and Gran Killer." Sora said quoting her Digivice. GrandisKuwagamon then charged at Gallantmon and VictoryGreymon who were bracing themselves... Only for the large insect to move so fast around them, they couldn't keep track. GrandisKuwagamon then elbowed the two of them from behind and then proceeded to stomp on the two of them... Just to keep them on the ground. "Pathetic! And I expected more from a Royal Knight!" GrandisKuwagamon said before jumping off the two mega levels... Who then got back up. "You know, just because you gained a speed boost... Doesn't mean you automatically win. Cause that barely hurt." Gallantmon said to the insect who was now starting to get intrigued by Gallantmon's challenge. "So then, you wish for me to actually damage you huh?" GrandisKuwagamon asked his opponent...

Garudamon was trying her best not to damage MegaKabuterimon due to him being her long time friend, and Koushiro's partner. Unfortunately, this would end up causing her to recieve more damage than she should from MegaKabuterimon. "Please! Listen to reason! We're your friends! He's just controlling you!" Garudamon yelled to MegaKabuterimon who just didn't end up listening to anything she was saying. "Honestly, why do you humans even bother? He's already under my total control... So what's the use? Every time someone from the good guy's side ends up joining the enemy, whether by possession or by their own will, they always seem to think that it'll all work out in the end... And that the good guys will get their lost ally back. But here's the thing... My power is absolute with every insect type Digimon! So no matter if they're up to an Ultra Level, I'll be able to control them and bring them to my side of the spectrum!" MegaKabuterimon then rammed into Garudamon with a Horn Buster and caused her to fall back towards Sora. Garudamon was struggling to get up and Sora tried giving some words of encouragement towards her partner...

Though unfortunately, Garudamon was barely standing up. "Now then, MegaKabuterimon... Finish them..." MegaKabuterimon was going to prepare an electric blast that would destroy Garudamon. Before MegaKabuterimon could fire the blast, Koushiro had decided to stand in between the two Digimon. "Stop this now!" Koushiro said to the both of them. He then pointed his Digivice at MegaKabuterimon, with a beam that appeared to try and get through to him... Only for the power of the crystal to be stronger. However, Koushiro didn't let up. He kept on pointing that same beam at his partner and getting closer. Meanwhile, MegaKabuterimon seemed to be frozen at the sight of Koushiro approaching him, and then memories started to flood in. Memories of their time together as partners. MegaKabuterimon then clutched his head in pain. TyrantKabuterimon felt the power of his crystal somehow being matched by the power of this mere teenager's digivice. "This is inconceivable. How could one boy's power be enough to sap my crystal's strength!? Unless it's his bond that they spoke of!" TyrantKabuterimon said to himself before further commanding MegaKabuterimon to attack Koushiro. Surprisingly, the moment MegaKabuterimon tried... Koushiro was already embracing his partner and they were then enveloped in a bright light...

Garudamon ended up de-evolving back into Biyomon from exhaustion. "Biyomon!" Sora yelled to her partner who wearily responded "I'm okay Sora. Just slash me a seed of health card and we're good to go." Sora then did just as her partner suggested and Biyomon was back at full health. Suddenly, three figures appeared in the street. VictoryGreymon turned around and immediately recognized the three as Yamato, WereGarurumon and Impmon... Who de-evolved from Wizardmon after teleporting the duo back to the human world. Impmon seemed quite worn down, and Gallantmon bashed his shield into GrandisKuwagamon's face before going to check up on him. "You okay buddy?" Gallantmon asked Impmon who responded "Just peachy. Next time I do any teleportation... Make sure Nia's there with me okay?" Gallantmon nodded and asked "But didn't you volunteer yourself along with Matt and Gabumon?" Impmon then falls unconscious. Gallantmon picks up Impmon and places him on a bench nearby the park. GrandisKuwagamon got back up from the attack and said "I see, so both of you are extremely tough... So now, I guess you'll be able to satiate my lust for battle!"

He then exuded some kind of battle aura that convinced Gallantmon that he's powered up. "Okay, so what do we do now?" Taichi in his data core asked Simon who responded "All we can do now, is humor him and pray he doesn't do cardio." Taichi was further confused by Simon's statement until he asked "Ever watched Dragonball?" Taichi felt something click in his head and answered "Well I don't think he'll be that easy to exhaust." Simon then responded "Tch. For a second there, I thought he might be the type who isn't used to fighting at full power. Oh well, how about we go all out!" Taichi nodded and suddenly, Gallantmon and VictoryGreymon started to power up. VictoryGreymon gained a somewhat similar battle aura, while Gallantmon changed to Crimson Mode. "Thank goodness for grinding sessions on days off." Gallantmon said to himself which ended up pointing out him being accustomed to Crimson Mode. GrandisKuwagamon smirked at the two of them and charged ahead. Gallantmon and VictoryGreymon then flew at GrandisKuwagamon prepared to end him once and for all. Though the hard part will be getting to that conclusion...

Yamato had WereGarurumon de-evolve back into Gabumon before approaching Sora. "Been a while hasn't it?" Yamato said to Sora who responded "Not really. We do chat on social media you know!" Yamato sighed and said "Yeah, I guess so... But anyway, we're going to need to push our bond with our partners to their fullest potential. Otherwise, TyrantKabuterimon over there is gonna play the part of windshield." Sora thought about it for a minute and responded "But how are we supposed to do that!? It's not like it's as easy as one two three!" Yamato then said "It's something I learned from Tai during our training. We've gotta put our faith in our bond just as he did a long time ago!" Sora then remembered that Koushiro was more than willing to jump into the fray when it came to Tentomon.

" _So if Izzy can have that much faith in Tentomon, then I've got to put as much faith into Biyomon!_ " Sora thought to herself before concentrating on believing. TyrantKabuterimon meanwhile was watching these two close their eyes while clutching their Digivices and said "I'm guessing you people must've forgotten about me! Since I'm about to decimate all four of you at once!" He charged at them, only to be disrupted by a light that impacted the ground in front of him. Sora and Yamato then found their strengths and suddenly came the core drills they sought out. "So Matt, what are we supposed to do with these?" Sora asked Yamato who responded "Whatever Tai does when he turns into VictoryGreymon, just insert the drill into the Digivice and let the power explode!" Sora nodded and looked over at Biyomon who was somewhat awestruck by the newfound power. Biyomon nodded towards Sora along with Gabumon nodding to Yamato. They then inserted their core drills and suddenly, they were enveloped by green lights that spawned from their locations...

 **SPIRAL MATRIX EVOLUTION._**

 **Biyomon Spiral Matrix Evolve to...**

Sora was then enveloped by a tan data sphere and fell into Biyomon. Biyomon began to grow into a much larger bird than her other forms. This form was gold and had four wings along with it's feathers. The back had feathers that were the colors of individual flames. The form also had a helmet that covered only the top part with some feathers attached to the back. And on her talons were two holy rings.

 **Hououmon!**

 **Gabumon Spiral Matrix Evolve to...**

Yamato was also enveloped by a data sphere that seemed to be a pale blue color, compared to Daisuke and Rika's data spheres. He then fell into Gabumon who seemed to change into what appeared to be a metallic wolf with blue armor and a huge cannon on it's back. Although in terms of the body, it appeared to be more cybernetic than organic. Though, this just gave him a significant advantage over most Digimon.

 **ZeedGarurumon!**

* * *

Meanwhile...

Koushiro seemed to be unconscious for a brief period of time. He then woke up to find himself... Inside a dark purple data sphere with streams of data surrounding the sphere as well as his body. "Where am I?" Koushiro first asked, but then immediately looked down. "Ah! What happened to my clothes!?" Koushiro asked nobody in particular while panicking. He then looked at himself more thoroughly and saw that he was all data now... "Am I... A Digimon?" Koushiro asked himself and then called out to his partner. "Izzy! Izzy! Is that you!? Where are you right now!? One minute TyrantKabuterimon was forcing me to attack Biyomon, and then you. But now, here I am just lost and confused! Oh, what am I going to do now?" Tentomon was asking in a panic as well. Koushiro then responded "Relax Tentomon, I'm fine. It just so happens that we somehow became one entity." Tentomon made a sigh of relief and then asked "Wait, what do you mean by one entity?" Koushiro then closed his eyes and focused on what was going on outside... He then saw that he was much bigger than he was before. "Prodigious! I think we may have combined into your mega form Tentomon!" Tentomon then felt really excited by what Koushiro meant by that.

The Digimon on the outside, was a gold and red beetle with four arms and seemed to be somewhat bigger than MegaKabuterimon. Though, just as big as Gallantmon and VictoryGreymon nearby. He also seemed to have four horns jutting out of his head. Two curved on the sides, one coming straight out below them, which seemed to curve upwards, and one small one that came up and curved slightly downwards so it's going straight ahead. It still seemed to have large beetle like wings and still without eyes. Though it seemed that Koushiro's eyes were what ultimately counts as seeing for this form. "Izzy, I think I understand why TyrantKabuterimon had wanted me to join him... It was because of this power!" Tentomon said to Koushiro who then got into what he assumed was a fighting stance. "I am known, as HerculesKabuterimon! One of the strongest insect type Digimon in existence! TyrantKabuterimon! Your time is up!" HerculesKabuterimon said before charging at TyrantKabuterimon who tried to control him again... Only for the golden beetle to destroy the crystal he uses for subjugation. "Damn you! Do you have any idea what you've done!?" TyrantKabuterimon said to his now golden counterpart...

* * *

Gallantmon and VictoryGreymon looked over to the new Mega forms on the overall team, and thought to themselves "Holy Shit..." Before focusing back to GrandisKuwagamon. "Not sure I'm liking your odds here..." Gallantmon said to the humanoid insect who sighed and responded "Oh well... At least now I know even if I manage to kill you, I'll still get a good fight!" He then charged at the duo. However, VictoryGreymon was there to try and outdo him in the strength department. This sent GrandisKuwagamon flying in the air. He started flapping his wings and tried to focus on his opponents... Who were now flying up towards him. He then charged at them with his dimension scissors, and managed to get a few cuts in on them... Along with the street. "Okay, now I know we have to finish this quick!" Gallantmon said to VictoryGreymon who then put some of his power into his blade. " **Dimension Scissors!** " GrandisKuwagamon said as he went towards VictoryGreymon, who ended up aiming for GrandisKuwagamon's arm. Suddenly, the humanoid insect felt both of his arms get chopped off, as Gallantmon caught onto the plan and used Falchion to slice the left arm off.

While VictoryGreymon had sliced the right arm. Simon in his data core looked at Taichi and shouted "Now!" To him as they focused some more energy into their blades and cut GrandisKuwagamon in a cross shaped pattern. GrandisKuwagamon screamed as he was suddenly torn apart by these two Digimon at their best. Gallantmon landed on the ground and looked over at VictoryGreymon who was a bit fatigued by that battle. Gallantmon went and patted VictoryGreymon on the back. "Thanks for the assist! How'd you even know?" VictoryGreymon said to Gallantmon who responded "Simple, if you wish to hinder an enemy's blade strikes... Just go for the arms or the legs. In this instance, I saw you were aiming for the arms." VictoryGreymon sighed and said "Not a lot of things get past you huh?" Before both Mega levels de-fused back into their Tamers and Digimon partners. Simon then looks over at the other fight that's currently happening. "Tai. At what level did Izzy and Tentomon merge?" Simon asked Taichi who responded "Well, he was at Ultimate level when I last saw them..." Simon and Guilmon's eyes widened and Taichi just realized what's probably the main issue.

HerculesKabuterimon turned towards ZeedGarurumon and Hououmon, who glanced at each other... And then back at HerculesKabuterimon. "Wait... Is that Izzy? And Tentomon?" Hououmon asked out of concern for their friends, while Yamato was a bit baffled at the thought that, Izzy... The nerd of their big group, was now this mega level Digimon. "Oh uh... Hey guys..." HerculesKabuterimon said to the two while waving his hand to them. "That's Izzy!? When did this happen?!" Yamato exclaimed in his Data sphere to which Koushiro seemed confused as to why Yamato doesn't know this. "Um Matt... Don't you ever go on Facebook or Twitter? We've been posting Digimon Tamer stuff for quite a few weeks by this point." Koushiro asked Yamato who sighed and responded "I guess I really do need to get back in touch with my friends..." Koushiro and HerculesKabuterimon looked back towards TyrantKabuterimon. "Tch! When you gain a new form, you've now decided to ignore me out of arrogance! Now you're dead!" He then summoned a swarm of bees to attack the group. HerculesKabuterimon then curled up and fired an electric shock that destroyed a large quantity of the bees approaching them. ZeedGarurumon fired a blast that engulfed another squadron...

While Hououmon didn't need to do anything. "My feathers burn anything that's too small for me to notice. So now, your attack is completely worthless to me!" HerculesKabuterimon then grabbed TyrantKabuterimon and threw him into the air. " **Mega Electro Shocker!** " He yelled as he fired another blast of electrical energy. ZeedGarurumon then said " **Zeed Cannon!** " Before firing a destructive blast from his back... Which somehow didn't get to TyrantKabuterimon. "Shine. Of. Bee..." TyrantKabuterimon said confirming to both ZeedGaurumon and HerculesKabuterimon... That their attacks aren't going to work. "If that's all you fools got, then I don't even need to try against you. Now let's end this.." TyrantKabuterimon said before surrounding himself with bees and spinning at the two while flying at them. "Bee Cyclone!" TyrantKabuterimon exclaimed while charging. Suddenly, Hououmon flew up to him and shouted "Starlight Explosion!" Before shooting beams of light that burnt straight through his bee shield... And straight through his armor. "This cannot be! I was meant to destroy Yggdrasil and rule over all creation! Not get beaten by a measly bird!" TyrantKabuterimon yelled as the beams of light caused him to burn until he was nothing but ash...

Hououmon then landed on the ground nearby HerculesKabuterimon and ZeedGarurumon. "Awesome job Sora!" Yamato said to her in his data core. Sora felt like smiling at the prospect that, she killed one of the most powerful Digimon in the Digital World. Though unfortunately, her attention was on HerculesKabuterimon... Who was slowly starting to get unstable. He then de-fused back into Tentomon and Koushiro. Ken had finally come out fo the hiding place when Simon told him he could, and the other Tamers were able to finally get out of the barrier that the bees put up. Taichi ran up to Koushiro, who seemed to be alright... But not in his head. Due to merging with Tentomon in his Ultimate level, Koushiro was significantly affected. He seemed to have a blank stare on his face, that seemed to be looking in one direction... In front of himself. What he saw however... Wasn't what everyone saw... He seemed to be looking at glyphs that look like a child drew them. And it's not on a piece of paper... But rather everywhere he seemed to look. Though it wasn't just what he saw that made him feel dead... But also processing all the information in his head. "Izzy! IZZY! SPEAK TO ME!" Taichi yelled to Koushiro who still seemed to be ignoring him. "Someone call an ambulance!" Taichi yelled to Simon and co. Hikari took immediate action and called an ambulance for their friend.

After waiting a bit, Koushiro was finally put on ambulance with Taichi sitting next to him the whole ride. Simon felt worried about Koushiro, but he also felt relieved that TyrantKabuterimon was no more. "Well besides one of our own, probably having mental health issues... I'd say we took down yet another bad guy..." Simon said, hoping that nobody would judge him for his timing. "In all honesty, I do hope he's okay." Hikari, Takeru and the others nodded in agreement. Yamato then moved away from Sora and approached Simon. "Okay, I really don't like you... But, I am willing to live with the fact that you are our leader. This makes us allies... But not friends, got it!?" Yamato said to Simon who nodded and responded "Wouldn't want anything less than that. Welcome aboard Yamato Ishida." He then extended his hand to Yamato, who took it. Takeru was quite happy that his brother finally made up with Simon. "Oh and before we go, there's one thing I'd like to give you..." Yamato said to Simon who responded "And what's that?" Yamato smirked before letting go of Simon's hand...

* * *

Meanwhile, with Taichi and Koushiro...

Koushiro was still staring blankly at what was in front of him. Though his eyes would likely tire eventually, he never seemed to blink. Taichi was sitting next to him, waiting for the moment he finally snaps out of his trance. Tentomon had come along for the ride, and seemed to never leave Koushiro's side. "Izzy... Just what happened to you?" Taichi asked his friend, hoping for an answer. Though it didn't seem anything would come from his mouth. Inside Koushiro's mind, he seemed to be looking around at all the information, mystified by it all. Though at the same time, afraid that this would destroy him, and render his body completely useless. So he seemed to go around and try decoding things one at a time, to figure out what all of this means... "These glyphs... I gotta find out what all this means... And then I can get back to my body and tell Tai and the others!" Koushiro said in his mind. Though no words seem to come out from his mouth outside of his mind... He could assume that everybody he knows is going to be incredibly worried about his mental state. Tentomon felt an extreme amount of guilt bottle up inside of him... And started to cry. "Oh Izzy, it's all my fault!" Tentomon exclaimed while he started to shed tears.

Agumon went up to Tentomon and responded "It's not your fault! Neither of you knew what would happen, and it's not like either of you had a choice. I'm sure Izzy might be blaming himself as much as you are right now... So I'd appreciate it if you stop guilt tripping!" Tentomon then wiped his tears and layed down next to Koushiro. A doctor had come into the room to check on Koushiro and said "Excuse me boys, I'm gonna need to ask you to leave. I've gotta perform some tests on him to make sure he's okay." Taichi and Agumon proceeded to leave the room... But Tentomon had merely moved off the bed. The doctor seemed a bit skeptical at the fact, that the insect the boys came with didn't make an attempt to leave the room. Taichi had decided to sit on one of the chairs outside of the room with Agumon taking the other one. "So, what kind of tests do you think they'll run on him?" Agumon asked Taichi who responded "Well, last time I was here... They had some kind of reaction test to see if I react when they tapped my knee cap." Agumon wondered what kind of tool the doctors of the human world would use for that... Until he shrugged off the thought and continued to worry about Koushiro.

As they continued to wait, Simon had finally entered the hospital. "Sorry I'm late Tai... How's Izzy doing?" Simon asked Taichi, who kept staring at his face... As though transfixed by something on it. "What? This?" Simon asked, while pointing to what is his eye... That is now a black eye. "Yeah, me and Matt finally made up... But not without a price I couldn't see coming..." Simon explained to Taichi, who then started snickering at Taichi's expense. "Ha ha, very funny. I don't know why I bother to tell you guys this... But then again, at least friends do joke from time to time." Simon responded before sitting down adjacent to Taichi, while putting his right hand over his eye... Trying to heal it. "So let me get this straight... Matt decided after joining the team, he punched you in the eye?" Taichi asked after Simon gave him a full recap. Simon nodded and responded "This is gonna take a while, I mean... I have gotten stabbed, shot and punched in the face before... As well as kicked in the crotch by a metal monkey. But nobody has actively tried to hit me above my nose. Though in some respects, I gotta give him props for creativity. I can't really heal wounds that I've never been inflicted with before as quick as I would normally be able to."

Taichi was then compelled to say "Well, some Digimon have targeted me before... But I've never been cut or shot. But then again, the Digimon around there are practically miracle workers compared to our world's doctors." The doctor then came out of Koushiro's room and said "Well boys, his body did seem to respond to the tests... But his pupils never seemed to dilate or anything... So for now I'd say go home and get some rest. I'm sure as Digimon Tamers you must be hard at work." Taichi was going to ask how he knew... Until he remembered the very interview where he declared to the world that he was still alive. Simon and Taichi, along with their Digimon headed back home and talked along the way. "So Tai, I hear you've been keeping up with your studies..." Simon said to Taichi who responded "Well, now that I'm reading high school level books mom's been somewhat lineant with me going out to hang with you guys... But she still has me on a tight curfew. So no matter what happens, I still gotta be home by dinner time." Simon seemed quite impressed with Taichi's progress. They kept on talking for a bit, and then the mysterious hooded figure from the Digital World seemed to be hanging around the trees...

"So then, Simon... You've gained your new allies..." The figure said as he kept on watching him walk away. "Soon, the time will come when you and I will fight. And I'll save everyone!" He continued to say before removing his hood to reveal that it was Takato. "The only reason I helped you that time... Was because Koushiro is important to all of this... Whether he knows it or not." Takato once again continued before pulling out his Gigimon from his backpack. "So Takato, have we found who you're looking for?" Gigimon asked his Tamer who shook his head. "No, I haven't. But when I do... I'm gonna see if he'll get me strong enough to beat him!" Takato declared before jumping away from the trees. Simon stopped and turned around for some reason. "What's up?" Taichi asked Simon who responded "Nothing, it's just... People following me..." He then walked further on with Guilmon following behind.

* * *

The next day...

Koushiro ended up asleep in his hospital room after a few short hours. His parents had stopped by to visit... And were understandably worried. Inside his subconscious, Koushiro had managed to finally piece together every bit of information stuffed into his brain. Though it seemed to take a while, he managed to do it, without risking too much of himself. "Phew. Now then, let's see if I can wake up now..." He said inside his head. Suddenly, Koushiro started to wake from his sleep. "Ugh... Where am I?" He asked no one in particular before turning to Tentomon. "Tentomon! You awake?" Koushiro asked Tentomon while shaking him. "Five more minutes Biyomon... I'm trying to sleep here..." Tentomon said groggily before finally waking up to see his Tamer fully conscious and smiling. "IZZY! I've missed you!" Tentomon yelled to Koushiro while hugging him. Koushiro then looked at himself and now realizing where he is. "Tentomon, who brought me to the hospital?"

Tentomon pondered the question and answered "Well, it was Tai who brought you here. And for whatever reason, they put you in that weird looking gown." Koushiro sighed in relief and then tried stepping out of the bed. The doctor had come in to the room for a check up... Only to see Koushiro as healthy as a horse. "Ah, Mr. Izumi! I see that you're awake now." The doctor said to Koushiro who then asked "Um... Doctor... How long have I been here?" The doctor looked at the records on his clipboard and said "You've been in this room for nearly 24 hours. Right now it's 11 A.M." Koushiro felt satisfied at the answer. The doctor then said "At any rate, if you can... We'd like you to describe what caused you to end up like that." Koushiro sighed and started "Well it's a bit of a story, so... Can we sit down?" The doctor nodded and Koushiro started to tell of the story between him and Tentomon...

 **What caused Koushiro to end up in such a catatonic state? What were those glyphs he was seeing? And what lies ahead of our heroes now that TyrantKabuterimon is no more? Find out next time, On Digimon Tamers Crimson: Knights of Grim!**


	21. Koushiro Izumi's Potential

The following is a non-profit Fanfiction. Digimon is owned by Toei Animation, Bandai, Akiyoshi Hongo and licensed by Saban Brands. Please support the official release, by buying the DVDs...

Digimon Tamers Crimson: Knights of Grim Episode 21: Koushiro Izumi's potential!

Koushiro Izumi had finished explaining to the doctor his story about his days with Tentomon. Though, it didn't seem to have anything to do with his current predicament... He listened to the story, so that he might end up getting some idea as to what he's talking about. "Well, Mr. Izumi... That was an interesting story. But now let's get to the meat of things. Could you tell me, or show me what you supposedly have seen?" The doctor asked Koushiro after hearing that he ended up seeing weird looking glyphs, but couldn't say what they were due to his comatose like state. He then asked the man to give him his clipboard and a pen. When Koushiro was handed the clipboard, he was lucky to find a blank sheet of paper underneath all of that paperwork. Koushiro then began drawing the glyphs that he saw. Tentomon seemed to recognize what each of those glyphs were... Considering their origin. "I apologize Mr. Izumi... But I can't read any of this..." The doctor told Koushiro who responded "That's fine. I wasn't expecting you to be able to." He then kept the paper in the bottom of the clipboard. "Alright Koushiro, you're free to go! Your parents had called your workplace and you now have the day off. So there's no need to worry about your job." The doctor said before leaving Koushiro and Tentomon alone to gather their things and leave the room.

"Phew... That would've been a hassle to explain to everyone. Now then, I guess I'll have to examine these glyphs on my own time..." Koushiro said before grabbing the clothes that were left nearby his bedside. "Izzy... I know what those glyphs are..." Tentomon said to Koushiro who then asked "Okay then, what are they?" Tentomon sighed and answered "It's called DigiCode..." Koushiro raised an eyebrow at Tentomon's words and responded "Well how about you explain this to me, when we get back home... Alright?" Tentomon nodded and let Koushiro get changed... He walked out of the hospital in what appeared to be his school uniform. Though with him, it was what he wore yesterday. When he walked into the waiting area, his parents were anxiously waiting for his return... To which they responded with a hug. Which he happily accepted and returned... They then headed back to their home, where Koushiro explained everything to his parents, who were also somewhat confused by what this "DigiCode" was. But they were willing to accept that it was the truth since Koushiro wasn't really known to lie to his folks...

Later on, He and Tentomon ended up back into his room where the ladybug had decided to sit nearby Koushiro in his moving swivel chair. Next to said chair, was a computer... Which he was currently looking on any Digimon related website where DigiCode could be translated so he could understand it better. "DigiCode was what Digimon from an old era used to write with, when it came to messages of our world. Though nowadays, we would consider them cave drawings since we've now come to accept writing in Binary." Tentomon said to Koushiro who was even more curious as to why Digimon just accepted Binary as their new writing language. "So tell me... Why Binary of all things? I thought that DigiCode would still be the thing?" Koushiro asked Tentomon who then answered "Well... Binary seemed very simple, and well um... We are made of zeroes and ones after all, so it makes sense that we'd see if we can understand that mysterious language that humans ended up making based off of those numbers. So to this day, we've got the entire binary code written in most literature that we've read... Including that old Goddramon book."

Koushiro seemed a bit more intrigued by this... But a little worried about the reasoning. "So you use a language made by us, because that's what you're made of?" Koushiro asked and Tentomon responded "Well it was either that, or learn several different languages... Which meant that, we chose the easy one." Koushiro thought about the answer for a little while... And then ultimately agreed with Tentomon. "With us, it takes years of studying just to learn a new language after getting accustomed to the one you were born with. Around here, most people speak Japanese... But have gotten into the habit of speaking either fluent or some... Gratuitous English. Mostly it's because that's what most students around here think is cool. I've had most of my classes be honor classes since I ended up having all this intelligence in my head. Though, I guess that came from a long time of sheltering myself from my parents." Koushiro explained to Tentomon who asked "But Izzy, aren't your parents... You know... Not your parents?" Koushiro then responded "Well no. They said to me that, they knew who my parents were and whatnot. And I'd glady take their word for it. I've been taught to never lie to my friends or family... And besides this, they haven't really lied to me about loving me." Tentomon had decided to try and process that bit of information...

* * *

Meanwhile...

Simon, Taichi and Daisuke decided to hang out as three out of four goggleheads. Though Taichi wondered why he was considered one, since he didn't have any goggles to wear. "Well Tai, if you've worn goggles in the past... Then that does technically make you one." Daisuke explained to Taichi who then asked "Alright then, who even made up the term? Was it you Mr. Fearless Leader?" Simon had grown a bit more lineant to Taichi calling him a "Fearless Leader" since that was something Takeru would often call him just to joke around with his near lack of fears. "The answer is no. I didn't make up the name... It was Rika. She decided to call us that since, as most goggleheads in her book we do have the tendency to charge in first, rather than wait for anyone else. Though in my case, it's because I had that habit of trying to help everybody with these powerful Digimon... But then, as time passed I realized that... If I kept on doing that, nobody would be able to grow as a person or in strength should I get in the way." Simon explained to Taichi who then asked "Alright, well what about me?"

Simon and Daisuke pondered the answer together... Until Daisuke said "Well, you seem to charge in a lot despite being analytical about the situation... And most of the time, it's always you to land the first blow." Taichi then said to Daisuke "Which brings us to you. I know that Taiki had that same hero disorer that Simon did, but never over did it." Simon muttered "I can almost feel the pot shots..." Daisuke then said "Well... I was the first out of my initial circle of friends to be a Tamer... And the first to intiate a relationship with another besides Simon... Since he and Nia are founding members and all." Taichi looked over at Simon and asked "So what's this whole founding members thing about?" Simon thought about the answer and responded "Well, for the most part it used to be just me, Henry and Rika... While Nia was there to provide backup with her ammuntion that she always brings to the party. It took her a while before she got her own Digimon. Which is the mischevious but kind Impmon we know and love. Meanwhile, Davis here got his partner at the same time Suzie got hers... And as each day passed by, our group got bigger until we finally got nine people on the team. Though I do tend to hang out more with Rika and Henry for anniversary sake. I gotta wonder when Xros Heart was forged..."

Taichi then said "Well, it mostly started the moment Shoutmon made the symbol for Xros Heart." He pulled up his right sleeve to reveal the Xros Heart team symbol. "Wow... That's still a nasty thing to look at every so often..." Daisuke said somewhat impressed. Simon meanwhile, was somewhat curious as to why such specific areas on the body. "So anyway, Shoutmon thought it'd be a good idea to draw a symbol to represent our friendship... And he ultimately tried to come up with names for our group. He pitched in Fusion Fighters, Kiriha had Blue Flare, I had the V-Tamers... And Taiki intially came up with Angry Parakeets..." Simon raised an eyebrow at Taichi, while Daisuke asked "Angry Parakeets? Why that?" Taichi then responded "Well... Our logo kind of looks like an angry parrot. So that was his explanation. Ultimately, he actually thought of the name Xros Heart due to our nature of crossing over into the Digital World and coming to care about one another. We then remembered that Taiki got his team symbol on his chest and thought the name would be fitting. So not only did he become our leader, but he also became the literal Heart... Of Xros Heart."

Simon then ponders something. "And speaking of Taiki, where is he?" Simon asked Taichi who answered "Last time I checked, he was off somewhere with Kiriha... Probably training for our trip to America." Daisuke then turned to Simon and asked "What's America like? I mean, I may have gotten my passport with Jun... Just in case I'd want to go to another country... I'd like to know what it's like..." Simon pondered the answer to that question and responded "Well... America is a somewhat interesting country... In the sense that it really does split the opinions of most people regarding humanity. Though it may be a very wealthy and decent country for foreigners to visit, with lots of tourisms and some of our landmarks do look interesting... Especially the Golden Gate Bridge and Statue of Liberty. Though like Japan here, we're prone to prejudice." Daisuke then responded saying "Oh... Well, I was thinking someday I'd want to go there with Kari, Ken and TK." Taichi raises an eyebrow and says "Well good luck Davis. I mean, it's gonna take the government funding to get us to America and yet here you are thinking that you can just-" Simon then interrupts saying "Actually me and a couple of my dad's friends always go to America every year... And he always reserves it on the second week of July."

Daisuke seemed quite excited at that prospect... But Taichi meanwhile, was pouting at Simon's statement. "Yeah, of course you'd get all the good luck!" Taichi said to Simon who then responded "Why did I open my big fat mouth?" Daisuke then asks "Could you give us the tickets? Pleeeeease?" Simon looks over at Daisuke's begging face and responds "Eh, why not. Besides, we kind of do the same thing every year. So it'd be a nice change of pace just to settle for the beach in Okinawa." Daisuke shrugs his shoulders at the mention of Okinawa and says "My sister once got invited to Okinawa and of course took me along since I was still in her care." Taichi then slumps over and says "Simon's gotten to everybody in this town. Next thing I know, Izzy's gonna be asking you for a favor..." Little did he know, Koushiro was walking through the park after buying a sea salt ice cream from the regular vendor. "Huh? I didn't even know these tasted so good." Koushiro said to himself before looking over at Simon and co. "Hey, Simon? I heard that your goggles have infared vision." Koushiro said to Simon who then put the goggles on and said "More than that. It does some X-ray vision as well. So in a nutshell, I can track you with you body heat... Or I can see through walls."

Koushiro then asked "Alright, could you help me with something?" Suddenly, Koushiro noticed Taichi's soul leave his body. "Huh... I didn't know they could do that..." Daisuke went and grabbed Taichi's soul and said "I got your soul senpai!" Taichi then rose up and said "Phew... For a second there, I thought I was dead and- Wait, did you call me senpai?" Daisuke nodded and responded "Well, when you're in school I gotta refer to you as my senpai. Since you're gonna be a senior and all. Meanwhile, I'm gonna be a sophmore and Simon's gonna be a Junior." Simon then added "Well it is true, that I am gonna have to refer to you by senpai since I was taught to show respect to my seniors and they in turn should show respect to me." Taichi felt a bit awkward regarding the whole senpai thing, since Simon at first seemed to be the oldest until he and his friends came along. But he then enthusiastically said "And from this moment onward, you shall refer to me as captain Taichi-sempai of everything that is soccer!" Koushiro seemed quite confused while Simon and Daisuke deadpanned "We'll pass..." Taichi suddenly felt his ego dropping significantly...

"Okay so Koushiro, what did you want to ask me?" Simon asked Koushiro who answered "Oh yeah! I wanna know how you made those goggles!" Simon then put his hand on Koushiro's shoulder and said "Boy, you need to come with me. Cause I know the guy who made my goggles... Because I did not make most of the stuff I use." Koushiro then responded "Huh... I guess I should've expected that..." Before following Simon towards the apartment complex he lives in. "It feels like he finds a way to make friends out of all my buddies... Though Sora and Matt are still very iffy on him... Which I'm sure he's okay with." Taichi says regarding Simon being buddies with Koushiro. "Ah relax Tai, it's not like he's hurting anybody. And besides, didn't Matt punch him in the eye yesterday?" Daisuke said to Taichi who then felt like laughing again. "Oh geez, here we go again..." Daisuke said to himself regarding Taichi's fit of laughter. Hikari had shown up a few moments later and saw that her brother was still laughing for some reason. "Hey Davis!" Hikari said and Daisuke then responded "Oh sweet angel! You've come to save me!" Before locking arms with Hikari, who then looked over at Taichi who then said "I guess he should've "seen" that coming!"Before continuing with his laughter.

"Yeah, I guess we'll go now." Hikari said to Daisuke before walking away with him. "Hey c'mon guys! Don't be like this..." Taichi said after he finally stopped laughing. Suddenly, an idea clicked in his head. "Alright then, two can play at this game..." Taichi said before dialing Sora's cell phone number. "Hey uh, Sora could you come here for a sec? I need you for something..." Sora sighed on the other side of the phone and said "If it's about stalking your baby sister, forget it." Taichi then felt a bit down and hung up. He then dialed Yamato's number and said "Hey Matt! How's about you coming to help me with something?" Yamato sighed and responded "I'm a little busy helping TK study for finals, I don't have time for your sister stalking bullcrap." Taichi felt a bit more depressed... Until he figured to try calling one of Simon's friends who didn't know him that well. "Hey uh, Henry... Could you come with me for a few minutes?" Taichi said, but instead heard Suzie who responded "Sorry Tai, Henry's busy studying." Taichi then slumped and said "Fine, they win this round... But I'll find someone to help me next time!"

* * *

Meanwhile...

Koushiro was looking around at a room, that he could've sworn belonged to a genius or something... But instead it belonged to Leeron. "Oh Simon, I didn't know you made some new friends..." Leeron said inspecting Koushiro. "Um... Hi... My name is, Koushiro Izumi... But my friends call me Izzy!" Koushiro said introducing himself. Leeron held out his hand and said "It's an honor to meet you Mr. Izumi..." Koushiro took his hand and Leeron sat back down on his swivel chair. "So then, what can I do for you boys today?" Leeron asked both Simon and Koushiro. "Well, I need to know how you made Simon's goggles..." Koushiro said to Leeron who responded "Well, someone's a bit of a fanboy now aren't we?" Simon then said "Look, he's not here to replicate my goggles." Koushiro added "I'm here because... I wanna make use of something I've recently been able to do." Leeron then asked "And what pray tell, might that be?" Koushiro then closed his eyes and opened them again. Afterwards, he grabbed a pencil and a piece of paper on Leeron's desk before jotting down some of the DigiCode glyphs he saw.

He then showed Simon and Leeron the paper and Simon said "So, that whole thing that left you in a near comatose state, gave you the ability to see DigiCode wherever you went..." Koushiro nodded and responded "I believe that with this code, I might have figured out just how to find distortions in space..." Leeron looked over at Simon and said "Simon, this kid's probably got the right idea... But should I just trust my tools with him? I mean... He seems to be a year older than you and-" Simon interrupted Leeron saying "If Izzy can make stuff in the computer club, then I have no doubt he can do this as well..." Leeron then hands Koushiro some goggle parts he did have on hand and said "Well, I don't have customizable parts at this point in time, so I can't give you colored versions. But I am sure that you can make something of all of this..." Koushiro's eyes beamed with excitement and said "Thank you Mr. Leeron! I promise to make good use of this!" Koushrio then took the parts and headed straight home. "So, you think he could actually make goggles to see distortions in space?" Leeron asked Simon who responded "At this point, anything's possible." One thing bugged Simon though... "Where was Tentomon during all this?"

* * *

Back at the Izumi residence...

Tentomon was busy looking through numerous textbooks in Koushiro's room... Hoping to increase his intelligence based on the articles written by E. Peterson. Tentomon didn't understand why Simon's friends groan at the mere mention of his name. "Hmmmmm... These Japanese letterings really are close to DigiCode. So at least it makes some sense..." Tentomon said to himself before continuing to reading the book. Koushiro had just come home with the parts for what he was about to make. He sat himself down onto a desk nearby his closet and Tentomon asked "Gee Izzy, whatcha got there? some kind of time traveling device or something?" Koushiro then put on some protective gear and begun using his tools to build the goggles. "I'm busy making something with my new ability. Do you think you could lend me a hand?" Tentomon then enthusiastically said "Yes sir!" Koushiro and Tentomon then began to work quite a bit into the night with these goggles. Since these were supposed to be as he said: Capable of seeing distortions in space... Koushiro took it upon himself to study some of the DigiCode he wrote and saw, as well as Tentomon being able to translate the code.

Of course, he and Tentomon went down for dinner. But since it was the weekend and he had Sunday off, Koushiro felt that he could pull an all nighter on the goggles. Hours ticked by, and neither Tentomon nor Koushiro gave in to sleep. After long and gruelling hours Koushiro and Tentomon finally put together the goggles by tomorrow morning. He texted Taichi, Daisuke and Simon to meet him outside his home ASAP. Koushiro and Tentomon went outside a few minutes later to greet the three goggleheads that were intially present. "So Izzy... What's the drill?" Taichi asked and Daisuke looked at Koushiro's eyes and noticed some bags underneath them. Daisuke then asked "Izzy! What happened to you buddy? Did you forget about sleep!?" Koushiro then responded "Sleep is for the weak. And the weak, die young. Put these on Tai!" Taichi took the goggles that Koushiro made and put them on over his eyes. "I've used the DigiCode that I've recorded, along with Tentomon's ability to make these. And from here on out, you can see distortions in space!" Simon and Daisuke's jaws simultaneously dropped at that prospect. "Woah... Izzy, this is amazing! Izzy? Izzy!?" Taichi said to Koushiro... Who fell asleep along with Tentomon.

"Izzy! You okay?" Taichi asked out of concern for his friend. Luckily for him, Koushiro was sleeping quite peacefully. "I should get him inside." Taichi said to Daisuke and Simon before entering the Izumi residence with Koushiro in his arms. Simon and Daisuke looked back at each other and the auburn haired gogglehead showed Simon, Taichi's latest "eye" pun. "He's still making more of these?" Simon asked Daisuke who responded "Looks like he'll never let you live this one down..." Simon sighs and says "Yeah, but I'm not gonna get him back... Yet..." Daisuke looked at Simon with a smirk and asked "Is it something devious?" Simon then looks back at Daisuke and answers "No. I just wanna make things even between us. Besides, maybe I'd like to make puns out of something embarassing that happened to him." Daisuke then sighs and says "How about we just find an image of him sucking his thumb?" Simon thinks about it and responds "Hey, why the hell not. At least it's not harmful." Simon and Daisuke started walking away from the Izumi household, when they assumed that Taichi got the whole mess covered.

However, Simon asked Daisuke "How do you know Tai sucks his thumb?" Daisuke then answers "Well, Kari told me that. Almost every morning she wakes up to find Tai, she sees him sucking his thumb." Simon then ponders his revenge scheme... Back with Taichi, he told Mr. and Mrs. Izumi to get an ice cold bucket of water. They poured it on him and Tentomon... Who immediately woke up to a freezing sensation. "Why'd you do that!?" Tentomon asked Taichi before looking at Mr. and Mrs. Izumi, and realizing they did it to wake them up. "Izzy, you've been up all night... And both of you kind of smell." Koushiro then sniffed himself and Tentomon before realizing they smelled absolutely horrible. "I'm gonna go run a hot bath." Koushiro said before running upstairs with Tentomon in tow. "So Taichi, it's been quite some time since we've seen you..." Mrs. Izumi said to Taichi, who responded "Just about six years, that's all..." Mr. Izumi then said "Well then, why don't you have a seat right over on the couch and we'll do some catch up." Taichi got a bit flustered and responded "I don't want to waste your time, I mean... My story's kind of farfetched." Mr. Izumi shook his head and said "Oh don't you worry Tai... We've got all the time in the day. At least until Izzy's done his studying for the finals..." Taichi then sat down and told the Izumis what happened...

Meanwhile, Koushiro was in the tub looking over at Tentomon. "Oh when I figure out how this works... I'll give it the beating of a lifetime!" Tentomon yelled towards the nozzle nearby the wash tub. "Tentomon, you're not supposed to wack a shower nozzle." Tentomon turned over at Koushiro and asked "Well then, how would you operate this contraption mr. smartypants!?" Koushiro sighed and pointed towards the handle nearby the shower handle. "Twist that, and then you'll get your water. Just don't forget to lather, rinse and repeat." Koushiro explained the functionality of the shower nozzle. "Alrighty then, let's get started!" Tentomon said as he turned the handle and water sprinkled onto Tentomon. "Oh my! I never knew water could do this..." Tentomon exclaimed while gripping the nozzle and rinsing himself. He then grabbed the strange liquid he saw Koushiro using earlier. "Is this what you humans call, soap?" Tentomon asked Koushiro who nodded to Tentomon's direction and said "Just lather that on yourself." Tentomon then remembered some parts of the lather rinse and repeat that Koushiro told him about.

Tentomon then cleaned himself off and joined Koushiro in the wash tub. "So Izzy, would you like a nice little shock to help you out?" Tentomon asked Koushiro who shook his head and responded "Water conducts electricity, therefore charging up a shock would probably kill me in this thing." Tentomon sighed at Koushiro's statement and sank further into the water. "I know you want to help, but you can't just assume that electric shocks will always be a good solution!" Koushiro said picking up Tentomon who then splashed Koushiro on instinct. "I'm sorry Izzy! I didn't mean to!" Tentomon said before recieving a splash to the face himself. "That's fine. I mean, I'm still a kid and all, so at least we can have some fun..." Koushiro said to Tentomon who then responded "Challenge accepted!" Before they started a war... Taichi had finished explaining his story to the Izumis... Who were quite surprised at all the dangerous things he had to go through, as a Digimon Tamer. "So yeah, long story short... Being a Digimon Tamer is really dangerous business. But Izzy handled himself quite well." Taichi said to Mr. and Mrs. Izumi who were somewhat relieved to see that their son was doing fine. "I appreciate you telling us this... But are you sure our son is safe? I mean, he just got out of the hospital, but ended up sleep deprived after helping you..." Mr. Izumi asked Taichi.

"Really! Don't worry about it! Izzy's a great kid! It's not like he'd get into a fight on purpose!" Taichi said to Mr. and Mrs. Izumi. "I mean, last fight we tried avoiding him getting into that one." Taichi then added to his previous statement. Mr. Izumi seemed very interested to know that, his friends were trying to make sure he didn't have to fight. "That's a very nice gesture Taichi... And thank you for helping out our baby boy..." Mrs. Izumi said thanking Taichi who scratched the back of his head and responded "It's nothing, just an average day in the life of the Digimon Tamers..." Suddenly, Taichi's cell phone vibrated with a message from Simon on it. The message said "You willing to make this even between us?" With a picture of a sleeping Taichi, sucking his thumb. Taichi started blushing in embarassment at the prospect that, Simon had actual, legitimate dirt on him. "Ackerman..." Taichi muttered to himself despite the confusion of Mr. and Mrs. Izumi for his sudden silence. "I'm sorry guys, I just got a text from Simon... I'm gonna have to go now!" Taichi said to both parents who then shook his hand before he walked out of the house. "Oh well, I guess we're gonna have to wait for our son now..." Mr. Izumi said before Koushiro walked out with a fresh change of clothes.

"Hey Mom! Hi Dad!" Koushiro said as he walked down the stairs before sitting down on the couch nearby them. "Now son, are you sure that you've got nothing else but the finals coming up? No fights or anything?" Mr. Izumi asked Koushiro who shook his head along with Tentomon. "Alright then, just remember to study and call us about the tests!" Mrs. Izumi said to Koushiro who nodded and responded "It's a promise!" Before running back upstairs to his room in order to further in his studies. "So Izzy, may I read through some of these books like before?" Tentomon asked Koushiro who then responded "As long as I don't need them, you're free to read whatever you want." Tentomon then got even more excited before getting into the first book he saw. He and Koushiro then began to read for hours on end... While making sure to get some food as well as drinks into their stomachs as well... It seemed like Koushiro was gonna ace the finals for sure. And at the very least, Tentomon helped quiz him in some categories just to make sure he got each and every question correct. Rarely did he get a question wrong, and by the end of the day, the duo were ready for bed...

* * *

Meanwhile...

Taichi was on the rooftop of the apartment building with Simon. "So, we even Mr. Thumb sucker?" Simon asked Taichi who then responded "Aye, Aye Captain!" Simon accepted that one last pun and shook hands with Taichi. "So Tai... What besides distortions in space can you see?" Simon asked Taichi who then looked into his new goggles and said "Well, not really much. But I can see a lot of those glyphs that Izzy told me about..." Simon seemed a bit intrigued by this new discovery. He thought that DigiCode was just some of those things found in the old areas of the Digital World. But it seemed to be everywhere. "Considering the amount of DigiCode in this world, I'm beginning to think that there might be something we're missing. Something that we didn't take into account..." Taichi said to Simon who then responded "Yeah, I think there might be a possibility of our two worlds merging once again. In which case, we'd have to figure out a way to make sure the Digital World doesn't end up destroying ours and vice-versa." Taichi nodded in agreement and then asked "So... Has Matt asked you to give his band your autograph?"

Simon raised an eyebrow and responded "Not really. Matt hasn't approached me as the Shadow Tamer... Under the assumption that I'd be illusive in terms of tracking down and isolating. Though I do try to be illusive, I would spend time with Erwin. So I guess he could've gotten me then." Taichi shrugged his shoulders and then asked "So... Who ratted me out?" Simon sighed and responded "Davis and Kari. Though Kari's the one who told Davis, since she has to wake you up every day and Davis didn't want to hear another eye pun out of you." Taichi then looks on his phone and notices that he had a few likes... Though some of Simon's friends were a bit unhappy with Taichi's opinion on Simon's predicament. Though Nia actually added in an eye joke as well. "Huh? Even Nia's getting in on making jokes at my expense... Oh well. At least I know a flaw in my healing factor... So that's a start right?" Simon said to Taichi who responded "I guess that's true. And besides, you'll have finals and I'll still have to study my ass off just to get into High School!" Simon then ponders something... But decides against telling Taichi about it. "It's better if he finds out first hand..." Simon thought to himself before deciding to head into the apartment building, while Taichi looked out into the distance before heading back himself...

* * *

The Next day...

Finals were all the rage around Shinjuku high school, students were gossiping about how well they'd do on their tests... As well as talking about how stupid they are. Throughout the week, Simon and co. each went to their respective classrooms and worked on their tests. Since Koushiro was in all honors classes, he likely had the hardest time with his exams. Though it seemed trivial to some, it was important to many others... Due to not only how well they'd rank in terms of overall score, but also due to getting up into the next grade. Suzie meanwhile was taking somewhat average level finals in Middle School, hoping to at least graduate from Middle to High School. She was looking forward to spending almost every day with her big brother Henry. Though she knew it would most likely be only for lunch and walking there, she didn't care. After the end of the finals, the results were posted on Friday. Though it was a little... Unsurprising for most people... Seeing that Simon would be high ranking along with Nia. Though what did surprise them is the small difference between Henry and Ken's scores. Though Ken got higher, Henry's was only three points away from tieing with Ken.

The others got average scores that weren't too bad... But that didn't really matter to most... Because, school was finally out for the summer. Several students were cheering and Takeru had a triumphant look on his face. "Well guys, schools out for summer and we get to do quite a lot this year!" Simon said to the others and Koushiro asked "So what do you do for the summer?" Simon responded "Well Izzy, I help out at a bakery shop. I'm not allowed to officially work there until I'm sixteen... Which luckily for me is just a few weeks away!" Daisuke then gave Simon a high five. "Hey Henry... You got some free time today?" Simon asked Henry who responded "Well of course!" Simon then had Henry follow him towards the direction of the forest. "So brainiac and Ackerman are going up to practice huh? How about we go with them Nia?" Rika asked Nia who nodded and decided to go with Rika. Luckily, Renamon picked up on the idea and had Impmon follow her across the rooftops towards their Tamers. "Maybe all four of us should hang out today?" Takeru suggested to Daisuke, Ken and Hikari. They all nodded in agreement, while Koushiro immediately headed for the park to get Tentomon for work today...

Daisuke and co. were at a noodle shop that Daisuke and Hikari often frequent on their dates... Though now, it's with all their friends after school. They have gone here together before, but not all that often since Takeru and Ken are usually busy with their days. But this time, they're more than willing to hang out with Daisuke and Hikari. Meanwhile, Simon and Henry were busy sparring with each other at the dojo... Though it seemed to be quite even between the two. Nia ends up brewing up some coffee and brings it over to Rika, Renamon and Impmon. "So, I'm guessing you learned how to make this on your own?" Rika asked Nia who responded "Pretty much. It just took a bit of trial and error. It was something I learned to do for my dad. Since just about everyday he comes back, I'd get him a nice cup of coffee for his hard work as Police Commissioner." Impmon chugs a bit of it and says "Hey, at least you can make really good coffee. Meanwhile, us Digimon can't even cook for crap!" Renamon after drinking her cup says "Nothing really beats Seiko's tea... But this was still good nonetheless."

Terriermon was watching the fight with immense anticipation for his Tamer to win. Nia was giggling in amusement over the whole thing and all of a sudden... Rika pulled out a sketchbook, as though she was trying to draw out what was going on. Nia looks over at Rika who at first tried to give her a look... But couldn't really keep the look due to their friendship with one another. "I'm trying to draw what's going on. And one of my teachers looked at my notebooks with several doodles... Of course they lectured me, but said I should try and become a Manga artist. So I wanted to see if I could do this." Rika said to Nia who then watched as her pen went on to draw the fight between Simon and Henry. Though for them, it seemed as though they were about to give out due to how much energy they put into their moves. "Still just as good as ever..." Simon said to Henry who then activated the circuits on his body before responding "Wouldn't give any less!" Simon then put some power into his right before charging at Henry, who also charged at him. And with one last punch... They both seemed to still stand, until they fell down. Rika ended up capturing the last blow on her sketchbook and felt proud of her drawing. Simon and Henry then got back up and gave each other a fist bump.

"Henry... Do me a favor..." Simon said to Henry who responded "Let me guess... Don't ever change?" Simon shook his head and answered "Don't ever get rusty. Cause I don't wanna hear that, you end up getting rusty just because of peace. I wanna be able to have fights like this, just for the sake of seeing how far we've come. And it really would hurt me if you decided to fight half assed." Henry then said "Well Simon, you've helped me realize that there are right reasons for fighting. And I really appreciate everything you've done for us." Simon then responded "It was nothing... That was just me pulling a random speech out of my ass." Rika sighed at Simon's response to Henry and Nia then added "Well, at least I know you're good at improvising..." Simon looked over at Nia and said "Oh c'mon Nia! Not you too! Have you given in to that jerk's demands!?" In a sarcastically hurt tone. Nia then kneeled nearby Simon and responded "No, but I still know that you'd be our pirate captain after what Matt did to you." Simon thought about it and said "You know what, I'll accept that joke."

Nia then pinched Simon's cheek and asked "Well, you boys gonna get up anytime soon?" Henry then got up and said "I'm gonna need some healing before I go." Simon cracked his knuckles and said "Alrighty then! At least I made sure not to break any bones." He then ran his hand over the areas where he knew Henry was wounded. "So, when are you and Rika gonna go out?" Simon asked Henry who responded "Uh... What?" Rika meanwhile was blushing like mad and Nia said "We should leave them alone." Before walking with Simon and Impmon out of the dojo. "Renamon, where are you?" Rika asked her partner... Who also decided to leave her alone. Terriermon seemed to be the only one left inside the Dojo... And saw that Rika would probably kill him. "Okay, okay I'm going! You guys really need to learn how to momentai." He said as he walked out of the door. Henry and Rika were left alone to stare at each other. "So... Um... Rika... What did you want to do today?" Henry asked Rika in a somewhat shy manner to which Rika sighed and responded "Well if you are taking me out, we're going to get some Takoyaki at that stand nearby the school." Henry nodded and changed out of his martial arts gi, into his regular outfit that he wore...

And so, it seemed the Digimon Tamers would go on with their regular lives. Henry and Rika went out to a bookstore, where she had decided to read a whole bunch of Manga... Just to get an idea of the varying artstyles of different stories. However, Taichi, Taiki and Kiriha were getting ready to leave for America in order to fight against Bagramon. Koushiro Izumi had decided to put his ability in seeing Digicode to use at work... To some degree of success. Though he didn't get promoted, some of his co-workers were intrigued by this new talent. Daisuke, V-Mon and Hikari would often kick around a soccer ball while Ken and Takeru either watched or joined in. While Takeru was good at basketball, he wasn't all that great with Soccer. But nonetheless, they all had fun together. Simon was wondering why Guilmon keeps on spending time using his Steam account, instead of doing things like training. Eventually, he convinced his partner to get off the computer and hang out with the other Digimon... Despite his stubborness. He ended up spending the most time with Renamon, whom he did have a bit of a crush on throughout their days with their Digimon partners...

Even though Simon and Rika aren't a thing. Nia had occassionally gone back to the police department to help out her father, but not nearly as much as recent events would dictate. July 1st had rolled around like it was short time and Xros heart was just about ready to get to the airport... Though Shoutmon had to go into Taiki's Digivice, since he wasn't as small as Terriermon or even Gatomon. V-Mon also appeared to be around the same size as Gatomon, which made it even worse for Shoutmon. And of course, Agumon had to de-evolve into Koromon just to fit onto the plane. Yuko and Hikari were with Xros Heart at the airport just to say goodbye to Taichi. "And don't forget to do your studying Tai!" Yuko said to Taichi who remembered the library that Emir was talking about during their Skype call. "Yes mom, I'll study while I'm there." Taichi responded before putting his suitcase on the scale. Kiriha and Taiki already said goodbye to their parents, and Taichi had to say his goodbyes to all of his friends including Simon. Each of them felt like there were no regrets between each of them, since their parents knew the risks as well as their ability to take down the bad guys. Once they boarded the plane... There was no turning back, until Bagramon was dead...

 **つづく**


	22. Kicking it in America

The following is a non-profit Fanfiction. Digimon is owned by Toei Animation, Bandai, Akiyoshi Hongo and licensed by Saban Brands. Please support the official release, by buying the DVDs...

Digimon Tamers Crimson: Knights of Grim Episode 22: Kicking it in America...

One week after Taichi and Xros Heart defeated Bagramon, the Digimon Tamers seemed to have achieved some form of peace. Simon had recently turned 16 years old and everybody pretended to forget his birthday... Until Nia had blindfolded him and brought him to the dojo. There, his friends had given him a surprise party and had a fun time together. Overall, it was a very interesting time for our heroes. However, Simon had decided to give Daisuke something from his dad and his friends. "If you give this to Kari and the others... Tell them it was a surprise gift. Also, you should tell Jun effective immediately after giving the tickets to the others..." Simon said to Daisuke as he's handing him the plane tickets. Daisuke happily takes them and heads straight towards the Kamiya apartment. "So, you wanted to give your friends the "American Experience" huh?" Kittan said to Simon who responded "Look, we could always go to Okinawa next week, and I thought it's about time to let my friends experience my home country."

Kittan then pats Simon on the head and says "You mean our home country right?" Simon sighs and responds "Sorry I forgot to include you in my conversation with Davis." Kittan then looks back at the boy running and says "Well... You did mention that we do work hard every year for that. But then again, I guess you wanted to do something different this year." Simon and Kittan then went into Kittan's apartment and decided to bond by playing a game of cards... With Guilmon. Surprsingly, the outcome ended up being more even between Kittan and Guilmon. As for Simon, he was losing by the minute... Until he eventually ended up having no fake chips to bet in the game. "Great... My Digimon is miles better than me in poker and is only evenly matched with my dad and Nia." Simon said regarding the whole situation. "Wait, your girl plays poker?" Kittan asks Simon but Guilmon answers "Only online Poker with me." Kittan seemed a bit surprised that Guilmon would bother to play online poker. Then again, he remembers how much Guilmon abuses Simon's Steam account...

Daisuke meanwhile, knocked on the door to the Kamiya apartment, where Yuko was of course the one to answer it. "Oh Daisuke, come on in! I'm sure Kari would love to see you right now." Yuko said to Daisuke, who nodded and responded "Thanks Mrs. Kamiya!" Before heading to Hikari's bedroom. He noticed that Hikari was merely laying in her bed resting from some strenuous activity. "Wow... Kari looks so... Peaceful..." Daisuke thought to himself before moving a bit of her hair from her face. Hikari felt Daisuke's hand on her hair and looked up at the boy, who was now blushing like mad. "I'm sorry! I didn't know that you were asleep!" Daisuke said while panicking. Hikari got up and said "Huh... I didn't somebody was gonna be coming over today. Especially you Daisuke..." Before going to hug her boyfriend. Daisuke was seriously blushing at this point from seeing Hikari, just willingly hugging him out of the blue... Before she realized that she shouldn't do that out of the blue. "Oh my gosh! I'm so sorry Davis! I was just so sleepy and..." Hikari was saying while also panicking.

Daisuke then snapped out of his confused state and said "It's okay Kari, it happens to the best of us. Now, I came here to ask you, TK and Ken something important." Hikari then said "Alright Davis... What's up?" Daisuke then presented Hikari with a plane ticket. "You know how Tai got to go to America and you said you wanted to go?" Daisuke asked Hikari who's eyes started gleaming. "Daisuke... You got us plane tickets to America?" Hikari asked Daisuke who responded "Well it was a joint effort between me and Simon, but I got tickets for us, TK and Ken." Hikari then glomped Daisuke and said "Thank you so much! I'll go ask mom right away!" Before running out of the room to ask Yuko about America. "Hey mom! Daisuke got us plane tickets to go to America! Can I go! Please!?" Hikari begged Yuko who looked over at Daisuke before looking back at Hikari. "Well as long as you guys don't do anything dangerous and it's okay with Takeru and Ken's parents..." Yuko said to Hikari who nodded and hugged her in response. Taichi walked into the apartment and saw that Hikari was getting all giddy for some reason. "I guess I came home at a weird time... Oh hey Davis!" Taichi said as he saw Daisuke, who had to leave the apartment to see his sister. "What was that about?" Taichi asked himself...

When Daisuke returned home, he saw that his sister was busy with some reading. "Oh, hey Davis... What's up?" Jun asked Daisuke as he entered the apartment. V-Mon cheerfully leaped into Daisuke's arms and remained there for a bit. "Hey Jun... I gotta ask you something really important." Daisuke said to Jun who then noticed the plane tickets in his hands. "You planning a trip little brother? And without little old me?" Jun asked Daisuke who sighed and answered "Yes Jun. I'm planning to go to America this week with TK, Ken and Kari." Jun then folded the corner of the page she was on and walked over to Daisuke. "Listen, I don't know how much money Simon's dad is gonna give you so listen good. Unless it's urgent, do not and I repeat do not buy yourself too many sweets. Otherwise, you're gonna end up so broke you can't even pay for a train ticket... Which is surprisingly cheap from what Simon and Kittan told me. Understand?" Daisuke then saluted Jun and waited for her next direction.

"Since the plane is gonna be leaving tomorrow in the afternoon, I suggest you pack right away. And make sure V-Mon turns into Chibimon okay?" Jun said to Daisuke who immediately went to his room and started packing for the trip. "I'm sure he's gonna call TK and Ken as soon as he's done packing the necessities." Jun said to herself before returning back to her book. Daisuke was in his room packing everything he needed for the whole week. Though since he would sleep in his underwear more often, he didn't need to pack any pajamas. After almost stuffing his suitcase with everything he could ever need for the whole week, he decided to call Takeru and Ken about going to America. "Hey uh, TK... I got plane tickets for America this week, so do you wanna go?" Daisuke asked Takeru who on the other side responded "Uh, Davis... That's a stupid question... Of course I wanna go! I just gotta ask mom and we'll be all set!" Daisuke then hung up and dialed Ken's number. Ken was asked the same question, but instead of saying yes immediately, he checked his calender to see if anything was going on... Which there wasn't. "Alright Daisuke, I'll go. But first I gotta make sure mom and dad don't blow a gasket." Daisuke then hung up his cell phone and waited for their response. After a while, he recieved a couple texts of approval and he then got really excited. He then got ready for bed and dreamed of what tomorrow would be like...

* * *

The next day...

Daisuke and co. had their suitcases ready, and their Digimon put inside their carry ons. Though V-Mon and Wormmon had to de-evolve into Minomon and Chibimon, they were still able to fit. After saying goodbye to their families and friends, they went through all the mandatory stages of getting to the plane. Of course, since Daisuke had been on a plane with his sister to Okinawa, he knew all the requirements needed and told everyone in advance. They then had to wait a while before boarding the plane, which at least gave Hikari a chance to lean on Daisuke's shoulder without being looked at with judgement. Before they had left, Kittan and his friends had given them a large amount of money they accumulated through housekeeping, and of course told them to spend it wisely. Once they got onto the plane headed to California, Daisuke and Hikari ended up sitting next to one another, with Ken and Takeru sitting adjacent to them. After a while into the flight, Daisuke fell asleep on the plane... With Hikari capitalizing on the opportunity and leaning on him. Takeru sighs at the obvious signs of Hikari's lust for Daisuke, with Ken of course just being nonchalant about the whole thing. Once they landed, Daisuke and co. got to the worst part about a plane trip... Baggage claim!

"So... Why does this have to be the hardest part again?" Takeru asks Daisuke who responded "It's because some people could probably have the same suitcases as we do. So we have to check for our boarding passes." Ken looks outside to see that it's still the afternoon. "Since we're in a different time zone, we've probably gone back a few hours... Which gives us time to get settled into the location we're meant to go to." Daisuke and Hikari nodded and Takeru finally found his luggage. "Alright, let's see who's up next!" Takeru said to the group before retreating outside the area. Ken found his luggage easily, while Daisuke and Hikari had a bit more difficulty before getting theirs. After they walked out of the airport, they hailed a cab and headed towards their hotel. After paying the driver, they discovered that the hotel in question was not only a small one with many rooms, but it was also nearby a beach that they could go to regularly. "Davis... I don't care if the service is gonna suck, this trip is gonna be well worth it!" Takeru said to Daisuke who smiled at Takeru's satisfied declaration. When they got to where their rooms were supposed to be according to the front desk clerk... They discovered that one room had a single bed... While the other one had two separate beds.

Ken and Takeru immediately rushed for the one with separate beds, with Daisuke being almost oblivious to the whole thing. V-Mon and Gatomon then sat down on the floor, and decided to watch some TV. Daisuke feels a bit awkward since now they share a room with a kitchen and living room downstairs. "So there's two bathrooms in the whole area and they both have showers in them... Seems about as legitimate as to be expected." Daisuke said analyzing the whole area. Luckily the hotel had free wifi, so the laptops he and Takeru brought would be of some use. Hikari got into the bed and ended up getting comfortable. Daisuke looked over at Hikari all relaxed and whatnot, and felt very satisfied with that feeling. Gatomon and V-Mon were busy sitting at the bottom of the bed and were entranced by the television. "So Davish... How were you able to convince Shimon to let you guys come here?" V-Mon asked Daisuke who responded "Well... It took a bit of persuasive negotiation... But I got Simon to let us come here. Though, I think he probably had to beg his dad to give us the tickets..."

V-Mon then looked back at the TV and thought the show looked intriguing... Though he was also surprised that the show was in English rather than Japanese. Digimon may understand many different languages of their creators... But it takes them a small bit of time before they adjust to a different language. Meanwhile, Takeru and Ken were settling into their room, with Wormmon sitting comfortably on Ken's bed and Patamon just flying nearby Takeru. "So TK, why'd you guys pick this room?" Patamon asked Takeru who responded "Well, let's just say that those two need some privacy to themselves. And plus, I'm not sleeping next to Ken in the same bed!" Ken looked at Takeru and said "Well, at least we're both somewhat honest in our reasoning." Takeru was a bit surprised at Ken agreeing with him. "Ken, how come there are more beds than futons?" Wormmon asked Ken who responded "Well... America is a bit different. In terms of beds, they prefer any form of matress over using futons." Wormmon was a bit confused by American culture, but decided to roll with it, since he figured a bit of ignorance is bliss. Takeru was busy surfing the internet for things to do in America. Until he remembered that there was a beach nearby. "Since it's the afternoon, why don't we all go to the beach?" Takeru asked Ken who thought about it for a few minutes...

* * *

A few hours later, Takeru and Ken had convinced Daisuke and Hikari to go to the beach with them. Hikari was wearing a pink and yellow bikini with Daisuke and the other boys wearing regular dark blue shorts. There were quite a few guests underneath some umbrellas with Daisuke and co. underneath another umbrella. Though Takeru, Ken and the Digimon decided to go swimming in the ocean, Daisuke and Hikari decided to sit down and relax for a bit. Though when Hikari brought out her cell phone she decided to take a picture of herself and Daisuke. "Hey Davis? Wanna get in a picture with me?" Hikari asked Daisuke who shrugged his shoulders and stood with Hikari near the umbrella. He wrapped one arm around her stomach while giving a peace sign with his other hand. Hikari had V-Mon stand on Gatomon's hands to take the picture. Luckily, V-Mon knew how to use a touch screen phone. After taking the picture she saved it on her phone and made it her phone's main picture. After a while, Hikari decided that she wanted to go back to the hotel and post the picture on Facebook. Daisuke decided to hang out at the beach for a few minutes... Before deciding to head back himself. Luckily he and Hikari had room keys before heading back.

When he got back to the hotel, he headed up to the room where he and Hikari were staying in, and had quite a bit of sweat. "I'm sure one little dip in the bathtub won't harm anyone." Daisuke said to himself before he stripped himself of his bathing suit and walked into the bathroom with a towel over his shoulder. Though he didn't notice that Hikari herself was already about to take a bath herself. When he walked in, there he saw Hikari in all her glory. "Daisuke naked... This has to be a dream come true..." Hikari thought to herself before looking down at herself and realizing not only is she seeing Daisuke naked... But she's also watching Daisuke naked. They both were embarassed for a good ten minutes before they just settled for bathing together. In the tub, they were trying to look away from each other, so that at least one of them has their dignity intact. However, both couldn't help but steal occassional glances at each other. The two were practically red as tomatoes, and the heat from the bathtub didn't help a single bit in that department. So, they ended up looking each other in the eyes and decided to forget about trying since it wasn't working. "I'm sorry Kari... I didn't know you were in here." Daisuke said to apologize to Hikari.

Hikari shook her head and responded "No! It's not your fault! I should've locked the door! I didn't think anybody was gonna come right in, since I was alone and I didn't hear the door open and I-" She was interrupted by Daisuke putting his hands on her shoulders and saying "Alright... I guess it's both our fault in some way. But on the bright side, I guess this makes us even in a way." Hikari seemed a bit confused by what Daisuke meant and asked "How so?" Daisuke then focused his vision on the ceiling and said "Well... Um... I've seen you naked, and a couple months ago you saw me naked... So I guess that makes us somewhat even..." Hikari then remembered that bit and responded "Oh yeah! I guess we are even in a way!" Before the two started laughing. "Look Davis, I don't want my brother to hurt you... So let's just keep this to ourselves okay?" Hikari asked Daisuke who responded "Done deal." They then continued to have a casual conversation as if it's the most natural thing in the world. Deep down, the two were still too shy to try getting out.

Meanwhile, Ken and Takeru had entered their rooms and decided to sit down and watch tv. "So, how do you think Davis and Kari are doing?" Takeru asked Ken while sitting down on the bed. "Well, I would guess that things are going somewhat well... Though weird things could still happen." Ken said in response. Takeru seemed to have a content look on his face and continued to view the tv like he normally would. Eventually he and Ken decided to get ready for bed and decided to turn in for the day. Daisuke on the other hand had just gotten out of the bathroom with Hikari. Though now they were wrapped in the towels they brought in with them. Daisuke had figured to just go to sleep like he was at the moment and set himself up on the floor. V-Mon and Gatomon meanwhile, have already fallen asleep from the TV. Hikari had gotten the covers on her and tossed the towel away. She looked over at Daisuke setting up his sleeping arrangements and said "Davis, what are you doing?" Daisuke then responded "Well, I thought it'd be less embarassing if I just slept on the floor y'know?" Hikari then said in a stern tone of voice "Daisuke Motomiya, you will sleep with me on this bed, now!" Daisuke was a tad bit afraid of Hikari's tone and decided to get into the bed with Hikari. She then turned away and said "I'm sorry! I didn't mean to say that!" Daisuke under the covers responded "It's okay, I'll sleep here with you!" He then turned off the lights and they both eventually drifted into sleep.

* * *

Meanwhile with Simon...

Simon was merely spending time looking through some of his things, hoping to find some inspiration to improve on the quality of his suit. "Hey Guilmon, what do you think of light weight armor plating on the boots?" Simon asked Guilmon who then asked in response "Why do you think you need this?" Simon then answered "It's because I need something to absorb some shock when I'd make a landing. I can't always rely on my coat." Guilmon then looked back at the computer screen and decided to poke it with his claw... Only to see it pass through the screen. "Uh Guilmon... What's going on right now?" Simon asked Guilmon who then decided to go through the computer screen and wait for Simon. "Guilmon!" Simon yelled before jumping into the computer screen after his partner. "Guilmon, why the hell did you do that!?" Simon asked Guilmon who then pointed at the area around him. Simon noticed they were inside what appeared to be a tube headed for a certain direction. Although, it seemed that direction would be towards what some people would consider the internet. "Guilmon... Are we inside the internet?" Simon asked Guilmon who then responded "Well, every Digimon is capable of doing this. It's just that not a lot of us would bother. It's what I do most of the time when you're not home."

Simon then started floating inside the tube and realized that they would be heading towards the same direction the tube is pointed towards. "So you come here every so often when I'm out... What? Did my Steam account bore you or something?" Simon asked Guilmon who shook his head and said "It's because I wanted to explore a little more outside of just Japan and the Digital World." Simon was now a bit interested in Guilmon's curiosity in this Internet world. Here, Simon could see the circuits of every little input into every little site. And throughout this world, there were Digimon living in this community doing things like they would in the hub world. "I thought that Digimon were only in the Digital World and some in the real world... What's with all of this?" Simon asked Guilmon who responded "Some Digimon have found a loophole outside of their world. They come here when they feel as if they can't penetrate the barrier between worlds. The moment I learned about this, I really wanted to show you... But you were always so busy." Simon then took a few steps and said "Guilmon, this is probably going to be one of the best summers ever!" Guilmon felt very happy to hear his Tamer so happy about this new world.

The two approached Hackmon who seemed to be visiting this world. "Ah, I see you brought your tamer here Gallantmon. Welcome to EDEN my friend." Hackmon said to Guilmon and Simon. "EDEN? Wasn't that a program that got ditched because of a disease it caused?" Simon asked Hackmon who then responded "Let me explain... EDEN did used to exist. It was originally meant to give humans the chance to experience a virtual world, and socialize without the need of typing messages on their computers. However, when one of the beta testers ended up contracting a disease from the program... They decided it would be best to shut it down all together. The only thing is that, the data lingers inside the internet. Which is one place we may end up in should we ever bio-emerge to the human world. So like it or not, this is part of your average every day norm. We Digimon commerse between here and the Digital World, when we cannot hope to get to your world by conventional means. And in some cases, we can find ways to enter the human world through the portals on every computer. Now then... Any Questions?"

Simon raised a hand to ask Hackmon and said "So, if this is all lingering data... How did you guys forge it into this large of a community?" Hackmon then answered "We have been able to construct two growing cities in the span of years. And they continue to grow to this day. Though both are just confined to two areas due to a need to keep the other habitual zones intact, we were able to see the potential with this leftover program and use it to form our own community for which we travel to different parts of the world for." Simon then felt a bit awestruck by that large amount of information. "So from here, you can go to just about anywhere in the world?" Simon asked Hackmon who responded "As long as the connection is open, of course you can!" Simon then ponders what he should do with this. "You know... I have been wondering how my friends are doing in America... So maybe we could pay them a brief visit." Simon said to Guilmon who then smirked at the idea. "Which one of those tubes lead to America?" Simon asked Hackmon who responded "Up there. However, it's currently closed due to the time zone differences. So for now, I believe the best course of action is to wait until later." Simon then shrugged and decided to head home with Guilmon. "We'll see you later Hackmon!" Simon said waving to the small Royal Knight...

* * *

A few hours later in America...

Daisuke felt an odd weight on him as he woke up. He then realized that it was Hikari... Resting her head on his bare chest, as though listening to his heartbeat. At first Daisuke was a bit unsettled, but knew that Hikari wasn't aware of what was going on at the moment... And ultimately decided not to disturb her because of her peaceful expression. He decided to boot up his computer to check what time it was, and saw that it was 9:30 in the morning. He had also wanted to check any messages he got on Facebook based on the picture he and Hikari were in recently. He did end up noticing a few comments, especially ones from Jun and Hikari's mother. "Geez, not even a full day into this whole vacation and I've already got comments about my body. Luckily nobody noticed the scar on my abdomen." Daisuke whispered to himself. Hikari had started to wake up. At first her vision was blurry, until she realized she was laying on Daisuke's chest. "Morning sleeping beauty..." Daisuke said to Hikari who immediately threw the covers on herself in shame. "I am so sorry Davis! I never should have told you to sleep on the bed with me!" Hikari said while trying not to feel sad about the whole thing. Daisuke lowered the sheets so that her head was exposed, remembering last night.

"It's okay Kari. I'm just not used to you being like this. Normally, you're probably one of the shyest and most cheerful girls I've ever met. But then again, I do see hints of this side of you during your outbursts." Hikari then felt a bit of deeper shame from Daisuke's confession. "Davis... The truth is that... I've been crazy about you since day 1. I mean, I was just like most people who thought that I'd never get with someone as attractive as you. You're kind and sweet and all that cool stuff. But it's also your appearance that's been very alluring." Hikari said to Daisuke, trying to at least admit the truth to him. "Kari, I-" Daisuke was trying to say before Hikari interrupted him by putting his laptop elsewhere, and facing the wall rather than the bed. She then said "And this whole trip... It's just been amazing for me... But the downside is that, the more I see of you... The more disgusting I am on the inside... I'm like one of those Yandere girls you'd see on those anime who are creepy stalkers!" Daisuke was shocked to hear this and at first didn't know how to respond to this. Hikari Kamiya, his longtime childhood friend... Had just confessed to him that she was like a Yandere.

"And don't get me wrong, personality wise... You're probably the nicest boy I've ever met. Even nicer than Simon... But, you're just too lineant to me! I've been psychotic when I thought you were dead, I've seen you in the nude at least twice in my entire lifetime. And I ended up demanding you to sleep in the same bed with me, while I listened to your heartbeat! Normally, most people would be weary around clingy girls like me... But... Why aren't you..." Hikari was about to cry again, when Daisuke gripped her hand. He then said "Hikari... I don't care about all that stuff. I've known you for at least six years now. And never have I seen you give up this easily! I could understand earlier... But if I left you, then what good would I be? All I'd prove is that I'm like everyone else. I've had a crush on you since the first day we met, and I never thought a beautiful girl like you would ever want someone like me as more than a friend. It's just... I never expected you would actually be crazy about someone like me." Hikari felt somewhat cheered up by Daisuke's statement and responded "Really!? You mean that?"

Daisuke nodded and was about to kiss her. Suddenly, the computer lit up with Simon and Guilmon appearing on the other side of the bed. "Well, that was fun. Now let's see how our friends are doing-Oh my god!" Simon said in shock interrupting Daisuke and Hikari's kiss. He then noticed how they were sleeping. "Um... V-Mon and Gatomon haven't woken up yet." Guilmon said pointing towards the two Digimon sleeping on the pillow in the floor. Simon, Daisuke and Hikari kept on staring at each other and Simon said "Okay... We're just gonna leave you guys alone and come back when you have clothes on." He then signaled for Guilmon to open the portal in the laptop and the two then entered said portal back into the internet. Daisuke and Hikari then turned to each other, blushing immensely. "I think we should get our clothes on and go eat breakfast." Daisuke said to Hikari who nodded in agreement. A little while later, they saw that Takeru and Ken were waiting patiently for them. "You guys do know there's breakfast at the lobby right?" Ken asked Daisuke and Hikari who then along with Takeru, Ken and their Digimon made a b-line for the lobby.

After a while, everyone had finished and returned to the hotel. "Okay guys... we're officially stuffed." Takeru said with Patamon still on his head. V-Mon then said while rubbing his stomach "I didn't know humans could put so much out on a buffet table. But then again, I guess the human world is filled with surprises." Ken then raised his index finger and said "Alright everyone, I have a new idea on what we should do." Daisuke raised an eyebrow at his best friend's declaration. "I've decided to split everyone's money in half. Two hundred fifty for each of you and I laid it out on the table." Ken said to everyone while displaying the money out on the table. Takeru then asked "And why did you do that pray tell?" Ken smiled and responded "Well since we have five hundred dollars altogether with the flight back already paid for as well as all of this... I figured we should split the money in half according to our priorities. Our necessity money will not be used unless we seek out transportation. While the other half will be used on whatever souvenirs or clothes we want to buy here in America."

Daisuke felt prideful in his friend's plan and said "And that's why on our half, you're the brains of this operation!" Ken appreciated Daisuke's comment and knew it was sincere. "And luckily there's a mall close by to where we're staying." Hikari pointed out and the Tamers decided to make plans to head for the shopping mall. V-Mon then asked Gatomon before leaving "Hey Gatomon... Do you think Davish and Kari end up getting married... Doesh that mean we'll live with each other?" Gatomon sighed and responded "V-Mon you should know that's very likely considering how they are. They may have each other, but they still hold us in their hearts. So yes, they are gonna have us live with them." V-Mon felt a bit silly for even asking. "Gatomon... I hope we'll all be friends forever..." V-Mon said to Gatomon who felt an odd blush creep on her cheeks and responded "Yeah... I hope so too." She then got into Hikari's hands along with V-Mon, who got into Daisuke's hands. They then headed towards their next destination. They locked the door behind them before leaving the building. As they explored the mall, they noticed that there were many people not only commuting around the area, but also just loitering in areas with benches. Hikari decided to take Daisuke to a clothing store to get new outfits for them. While Ken and Takeru walked into a store filled with various fads, whether English or Japanese...

* * *

Daisuke and Hikari had looked through the clothing store for some new outfits to wear when they return to Japan. Though Daisuke had wanted to try on several hoodies, along with new pairs of Cargo shorts... Hikari ended up trying on a lot of skirts and jackets. Though that was mostly to see what Daisuke thought would look great on her. Daisuke... Was a bit partial to the green skirt she ended up picking out. And Hikari liked the gray-ish blue hoodie that Daisuke ended up picking out of all the hoodies he saw. Takeru and Ken ended up getting some interesting anime accessories. Though in their case it was either a necklace or a T-Shirt. Once the two groups met up at the food court, Ken noticed that Daisuke and Hikari made a bit of a haul... But still had enough money for food and other various things. Takeru sighed and asked "Do you guys really need all that for home?" Hikari then responded "Yes. Since I've never been to America, I wanna see what they consider good outfits, and so far their outfits seem to be looking great on me. Davis here even got a nice hoodie in that store." Daisuke had looked over at Takeru's direction, noticing the bag of souvenirs that they got from that fad store. "So what did you guys get?" Daisuke asked the two and Ken responded "Well, all we got were some surprisingly expensive T-Shirts and necklaces."

Takeru then looked at his necklace that he bought and said "Yeah... 30 bucks for a necklace my ass!" Daisuke and the others had to try shushing Takeru due to the possibility of being kicked out for profanity. "Well at least it looks cool. I can't wait to see Simon try and top this!" Takeru says holding up a necklace in front of his friends. "But TK, does that mean you plan on getting a girlfriend some time soon?" Hikari asks Takeru who responds "No. This is for me, and I wanted to look cool!" Ken sighs and says "Well, you are cool TK. It's just that you haven't gotten an opportunity to prove it." Takeru then looks over to see that Patamon is using the money from his change on a soda in the vending machine. "Oh Patamon..." Takeru says before going over to Patamon who bought himself a soda. "Don't just go out into public like that! This isn't Japan y'know!" Takeru said to his partner who opened up the can and responded "Sorry TK... I'm just so used to being out in the open like V-Mon and the others..." Patamon the flew up onto Takeru's head and continued to drink the soda, like it's the most natural thing in the world.

Afterwards, they returned back home with some groceries they bought at the store nearby the hotel. "So then, Davis, what'cha making? Some noodles?" Takeru asked Daisuke who responded "Well you know me as the noodle guy. So pray I don't screw up okay?" Hikari then gripped his hand and said "Don't worry, you'll do great." Daisuke then got to cooking the noodles the best way he knew how. And V-Mon actually decided to help out, since he actually did lend a helping hand to Jun whenever she decided to cook for the day. He then turned in a few bowls of noodles, which turned out to be quite delicious to the rest of the group including himself. Though when they tried to have seconds... The Digimon except for Gatomon ended up eating the rest of it. "V-Mon, I was gonna offer seconds..." Daisuke said to his partner who responded "You should've shaid shomething Davish..." They had then decided to turn in for the day, which for Daisuke and Hikari meant an attempt to avoid another awkward moment. Though in their case, they thought that their relationship couldn't be anymore awkward and just decided to settle into their new routine.

V-Mon and Gatomon watched as their Tamers ended up falling asleep next to each other again. "Sho Gatomon... What do you think of Davish?" V-Mon asked Gatomon who responded "I think he is a very responsible young man. Though from what I see between him and Kari, they're both incredibly shy about each other. But then again, I guess that's what makes them perfect for each other." V-Mon then pondered before saying "And Kari ish one of the sweetest and prettiest girlsh I've ever met! She caresh about my Tamer, and is probably one of the bravest people I've met... Besides a lot of Davish's friendsh of course!" Gatomon seemed a bit struck by V-Mon's similarities to Daisuke... Only in his case, he's a lot less shy about it. Between her and V-Mon, they seem to have nothing but positive things to say about both Tamers. But then again, in some respects they are extensions to their partners, while maintaining a sense of their own identity. Gatomon then got a bit tired and laid on V-Mon's shoulder. "Aw Gatomon, I guessh it'sh time for bed... Night night, Gatomon..." V-Mon said before falling asleep himself. Eventually the two ended up sleeping on opposite sides of the pillow on the floor...

* * *

Meanwhile in Yggdrasil's tree...

Yggdrasil and Grima seemed to be pondering what to do, now that Bagramon is out of the way and world domination is upon them. "So then, Grima... What is your suggestion for domination, now that Bagramon is dead?" Yggdrasil asked Grima who pondered the question and responded "We still have at least two human years before our secret weapon is ready. So... How about we spread a little chaos..." Yggdrasil smiled at the mere thought of spreading chaos. "Grima... You have no idea how long I've wished to hear those words. I have prepared two plans in order to spread the chaos. First and foremost is plan A. And within Plan A is a Digi-egg of my own creation. Though unfortunately, it doesn't carry the necessary components to hatch... But the location I wish to place it in, will do just fine for hatching it." Grima then looked over at what Yggdrasil had presented as plan B in case plan A failed. "And what's this?" Grima asked Yggdrasil who responded "This... Is something I pilfered from a pathetic human a few years ago. And the virus I stored inside of him is brewing up quite nicely. Though, I'm not sure if we're ready to unleash it now... Considering what he keeps muttering." The creature in question then muttered "Destroy..." Before reaching out of his cell to grab Grima.

The fell dragon noticed the hand nearly reach him, though he didn't flinch. He then used his powers to force the beast further into his cell. "I see that this one will need some fine tuning before it's ready. So let's go with Plan A." Grima said to Yggdrasil who then responded "Oh but of course my lord... But first I must insert the egg inside the World Wide Web." He later inserted the egg into the portal waiting for it to hatch. "Yggdrasil... How does this egg hatch when it's inside the internet?" Grima asked Yggdrasil who responded "The necessary component for this, is merely but that of negative energy from humans written onto the web." Grima sighed and said "The internet isn't the most efficient way of making a Digi-Egg hatch." Yggdrasil chuckled and responded "My lord... The internet is filled with people who argue about pointless things. Like say which voices are suitable for an anime, Japanese, English, German or any other language for that matter, small mistakes that people make regarding the subject material of most worldwide issues... Or even to merely antagonize people out of a need to feel special! So yes, the internet will be more than sufficient!" Grima then twidled his fingers and smiled at the prospect of his servant's knowledge.

In an unknown corner of the internet, a Digi-Egg began to float through the internet circuits... Taking in all the negative words of humanity as it's fuel for hatching. After a long time of various comments in different languages coming inside of it's shell, the creature inside realized what it must do. Yggdrasil had created this egg with the sole purpose... Destroy all humanity... The creature then floated up towards one of the various circuits and typed out a message for all the humans of the world to understand. In different languages, the message said one simple word... "Hello..."

 **What is this Digimon within the internet? When did Yggdrasil plan all of this? And how will the Digimon Tamers handle this? Find out, next time! On Digimon Tamers Crimson: Knights of Grim!**


	23. Our War Game!

The following is a non-profit Fanfiction. Digimon is owned by Toei Animation, Bandai, Akiyoshi Hongo and licensed by Saban Brands. Please support the official release, by buying the DVDs...

Digimon Tamers Crimson OVA 1: Our War Game!

In the Shinjuku district, a lot of strange phenomenon can be found. Though the strangest has recently been Digimon. They have improved the lives of a few people within said district. However, for many other people... Thier livelihoods have been made quite complicated. However, those few people who's lives Digimon have been improved, are more willing to help out those innocent people who's lives have been made complicated. Nowadays, people have gone on with their lives as though Digimon appearing were like a Godzilla movie. However, those lives would now likely be thrown into chaos. Koushiro Izumi was surfing through the internet one day, just to update all of his things. Unfortunately for him, the next message he would recieve will mark the start of disaster... "Huh? Prodigious... A computer virus just spawned on the internet..." Koushiro said before scrolling through all the text that appeared on screen. Tentomon had noticed this and said "Izzy... What's happening? I thought your computer would crash if something like this happened..." Koushiro then responded "Usually it would, but for some reason this... Thing, is able to get all this information out. Wait, hold on a second..."

Koushiro then examined the next thing he saw on screen, which appeared to be a Digi-Egg. "That's... A Digi-Egg... And, I think... I think it's hatching!" Koushiro said as the egg on screen cracked open to reveal a small eye in the center. It ended up sending the message "Hello..." Which made Koushiro go on edge. "Izzy... What should we do now?" Tentomon asked Koushiro who then unplugged his laptop and closed it before taking the cord and heading out of his room. "Bye mom! Bye dad! I'm off to visit Tai for a bit!" Koushiro shouted to his parents who were a bit confused as to why, but assumed that it was Digimon Tamer business. "Alright, the quickest way to the apartment is by taking a few of these alleyways and hopefully avoiding some thugs along the way." Koushiro said before running towards the nearest one. Luckily for him, nobody was there to try and get in his way as he ran as fast as he could towards Taichi's apartment. Though of course, there were those pesky crosswalks that got in his way. But in the end he finally made it to the apartment complex...

* * *

Though things were still a tad bit complicated when regarding what was happening in the apartment complex. Simon Ackerman was trying to find someone to hang out with, due to his recent boredom... And need to show one of his friends the new thing he found out from Guilmon. He had dialed Nia first, but she had to spend time with her father in the police department with Impmon. Rika was too busy having some bonding time with both her Mother and Grandmother to pick up the phone, which Renamon ended up answering for her. When Simon tried Henry, he had to go to a birthday party with Suzie, who was invited because it was one of her schoolmates. Which ended up leaving Simon with one option... To spend time with Taichi and Agumon. "Simon, what about Izzy?" Guilmon asked his Tamer who responded "Guilmon, I don't really know him that well, so why would I do that?" Guilmon shrugged his shoulders and said "Maybe because... You'd want to get closer to him?" Simon sighed and responded "Yeah... But then he'd probably have to go into work today." Guilmon ponders Simon's response and says "Point taken." Yuko Kamiya answers the door and says "Oh Simon, good to see you! Tai's probably in need of a friend to hang out with anyway..."

She then cues Simon and Guilmon to enter the apartment, and Simon sees that Taichi is currently sleeping on the couch with one of many books over his face. "Um... Tai... You awake?" Simon said trying to get Taichi to wake up. "SPACE MONKEYS!" Taichi shouted while holding his arms up in a defensive posture. "Oh... It's you..." Taichi then said after getting a good look at Simon. "Yeah... It's just me..." Simon responded to Taichi who then said "I don't want to hear your nonsense Ackerman! Because I just got a mortifying image on Facebook last night, detailing something I didn't want to see!" Simon raised an eyebrow and responded "I know I'm tempting fate here... But how bad could it possibly be?" Taichi then pulled out his cell phone and showed the picture Hikari posted on Facebook... Of her and Daisuke on a beach, with Daisuke's arm wrapped around her waist and giving the peace sign with another. While Hikari simply stood and looked cute for the camera. "What could be so bad about this?" Simon asked Taichi who responded "You guys, lied to me! You said they were going to Okinawa, but no! They're in America, hanging out all alone while Hikari's probably not even aware of the trouble she could get in with Davis around her."

Simon hearing this was looking over at Yuko who said "I didn't want him to worry, and I said that you got tickets for them to fly to Okinawa. Of course, I thought it looked adorable and Kari did message me and is really enjoying herself there." Simon then looked back at Taichi and said "I'm sorry, but that was a case of you being proven wrong." Taichi then just sighed and responded "Yeah whatever. And while Kari's over in America, I'm here just studying and waiting for something to happen!" Yuko feels a bit bad for her son and says "Well, how about I bake a cake for you guys... Just for the occasion." Taichi had immediately face-faulted into the ground and Simon then asked "He does know that you made my birthday cake right?" Yuko shook her head and responded "No. But if I told him that, he would've never eaten the cake." She then handed Taichi an egg to hold after he got up. There was some frantic knocking on the door and Yuko said "Why don't you be a dear and get the door?" Taichi grumbled before opening the door to see Koushiro all sweaty from running towards the apartment.

"Izzy, you're all sweaty... What's up?" Taichi asked Koushiro who then said "Well... It's... It's about the egg." Taichi was immediately confused by Koushiro's statement. "The egg already hatched!" Koushiro said, further confusing Taichi who looked at the egg he held in his hand. "No! Not that egg! A Digi-Egg!" Koushiro finally said clarifying the whole situation. "Oh... Well why didn't you say anything?! Let's go!" Taichi yelled to Koushiro before handing Simon the egg and putting himself and Koushiro in his own bedroom. "Huh... So they pawn off responsibility to fight off a Digimon... Seems legit." Simon said regarding the whole situation. "Well, you should go and see what's up. And don't worry about the cake, I'll just make a smaller version of the one I made for you." Yuko responded to Simon who then put the egg on a plate on the counter before he and Guilmon headed into Taichi's bedroom. "So Tai... What's the situation?" Simon asked Taichi, who responded "Well, Izzy's telling me that a Digimon ended up on the internet and is currently carrying a virus." Koushiro then added "And if we don't do something soon... Everything's gonna be thrown into chaos!" Simon shrugged his shoulders and said "What else is new? I mean, this is gotta be the weirdest scheme Yggdrasil came up with... What did he do? Stick it into a Youtube comment section?"

Taichi and Koushiro then felt a bit underwhelmed by Simon's question as though he stated the most obvious answer. "Why do I get the feeling that something as stupid as that would cause this situation?" Taichi asked sarcastically while Koushiro kept on tracking the Digimon. Suddenly, it ended up changing form. It ended up becoming a small three legged spider, with the eyeball and an antenna attached to it. Koushiro then asked "Tai, do your parents have a bigger computer we could use?" Taichi then pointed towards his mother's room and said "I'll go get it with you!" Before running towards his mother's room to get the computer. Meanwhile, Yuko was still busy making sure she's doing everything right. Simon was watching Koushiro's laptop intently, as though he were pondering an idea of how to destroy it. Miko ended up walking right into Taichi's room and rubbed up against Simon's leg. "Oh Miko... What am I gonna do with you?" Simon asked while petting the cat in question. Miko then seemed gravitated towards staring at the laptop. Simon then noticed that the Digimon in question seemed to be doing something a bit peculiar. "Guys! Does Izzy have Pac-Man on his computer!?" Simon shouted to the other room where Taichi and Koushiro were busy carrying his mother's computer towards his room.

"Uh no... Why?" Koushiro responded and Simon answered "Okay, cause I think the Digimon found a way to make the internet it's own personal game of Pac-Man." After hearing that, Taichi and Koushiro rushed towards the room with the large moniter and computer unit. Koushiro hooked his laptop up to the moniter and powered it up. "Okay, now I've got access to the computer. All we need to do is find a way to defeat it!" Koushiro said to Taichi and Simon before looking at Taichi who seemed to have no idea how to do so. "Izzy, I know you're super smart and can read Digi-Code along with all that other stuff... But how are we going to fight this thing when we can't even get into the computer world!?" Taichi said to Koushiro who began pondering the answer while Simon had already thought of it. "Try and send your Digimon through the computer and see what happens." Simon said to Koushiro and Taichi. Koushiro had immediately told Tentomon to come over to him, while Taichi was heavily skeptical on the whole thing. "Tch! Like it's that simple!" Taichi said to Simon before Tentomon touched the computer and went straight through. "Uh... Tai... Tentomon's already in." Koushiro said to Taichi who then looked and saw Tentomon waving to them.

Agumon saw this, and immediately followed after Tentomon. "Well, it's a good thing that Ackerman guy thought of this! Otherwise I wouldn't get a good fight in! You gonna join us Guilmon?" Agumon said regarding the whole situation, but Guilmon shook his head having faith that they could handle it themselves. Simon and Koushiro noticed that the Digimon in question was starting to change. "It evolved again!?" Koushiro exlcaimed at the new predicament. Simon felt quite a bit of frustration at the prospect of this Digimon gaining power through this means... Just to do whatever it wanted. They then looked over at Taichi... Who seemed to be slack-jawed at the prospect of Digimon just being able to enter the internet. Though that didn't stop Tentomon and Agumon from flying through the tube, just to get to the new threat. "Wow, I never knew that the internet could be this big!" Tentomon exclaimed to Agumon who responded "Yeah, just make sure you don't get lost alright? I don't wanna lose anyone during our travels!" Taichi appeared on a screen above the two Digimon and said "Alright, you guys make sure to stop this freak before he ends up destroying everything! So be careful alright?" Agumon and Tentomon nodded before entering a gate that had led them into a section of the community. "Woah... I've never seen a place like this before!" Tentomon said before spotting the Digimon in question.

This time, he seemed to have grown hands as well as an additional eye. Though he was also sporting two antennae and seemed to have a green stripe above where his tentacles were. "Tentomon attack him!" Agumon said to Tentomon who then fired a bolt of lighting at the Digimon eating the information. Suddenly, it looked up to Agumon who started shooting fire balls at him. The Digimon ended up dodging the attack and started flying through the internet. "Agumon, Tentomon! You gotta evolve to beat him!" Koushiro said before holding up his Digivice and slashing an evolution card along with Taichi. Agumon had evolved into Greymona and Tentomon turned into Kabuterimon. Simon was paying attention to the computer which had sudden emails they were receiving. Not only were they watching the whole thing, but so are millions of people all around the world. People were typing about how cool Greymon and Kabuterimon were, but others were complaining about the need of card slashing. "People these days..." Simon muttered to himself. The people around the world watching, were mostly gathered to one computer in various regions... Including a hospital room.

Greymon and Kabuterimon meanwhile were firing their attacks at the Digimon hoping to stop it. Though when they reached the next wall... They saw that the Digimon ended up changing form almost instantaneously. "Hatred... Need more Hatred..." The Digimon said before the smoke cleared to reveal an armored six legged spider with claws on each of it's feet and what appears to be an armored shell like a turtle. It gained several horns on it's body, though that's kind of a given for most evolutions. Koushiro saw the name of the new Digimon. "Infermon... It's an Ultimate level! Tai, we have to evolve our partners again!" Koushiro said to Taichi who seemed quite shocked at first before slashing a blue card. Greymon and Kabuterimon seemed to be going through Super Evolution. Though the millions that were watching also saw this, Infermon ended up attacking them during their transfomation. " **Spider Shooter!** " Infermon said firing six shots, three aimed at both Greymon and Kabuterimon. Though most Digimon the Tamers have faced beforehand wouldn't have done this, Infermon seems to have figured out their tactic in just one exchange. "I must find more hatred..." Infermon said before journeying further into the internet.

"Uh oh..." Taichi said to Koushiro who responded "Someone actually thought to do something like that... I gotta wonder how does Simon remain on top of all this..." Taichi then looks over at Simon who says "Well, I tend to not take too many chances. Also, these emails from around the world are coming in nonstop." Taichi and Koushiro then looked at all the emails regarding their Digimon's performance. "I suggest we call in some back up and tell them to go into their computer." Simon says to Taichi who then goes to his house phone. Simon looks at his phone to make sure that service isn't down. Luckily, Infermon didn't disable the phone service. "Good, now then I guess Guilmon's gonna have to go in there and help out now. Since, all my guys are busy. And I don't feel like troubling them when they're probably having a good time." Simon said to Koushiro who responded "I know that, and I'm sure that they didn't hear of how all of a sudden, the data around the world is going haywire because of one Digimon." Taichi was on the phone with someone and said "Look, we need your help! All you gotta do is have your partner go into the computer first and then I think jump in after him..." Taichi then felt like he was getting nowhere. "Last time I checked, the world is at stake! Now get your ass in the computer and help us!" Taichi then hung up the phone and sported an angry face.

* * *

Taichi then slumped onto the couch and seemed to just lay there. The door opened to reveal Sora entering the Apartment. "Hey, Mrs. Kamiya... Is Tai good for today?" Sora asked Yuko upon entering the apartment. She then noticed Taichi slumping on the couch. "What's going on?" Sora then asked nobody in particular, with Biyomon just looking around aimlessly. "Well Sora, I'm making a small cake for Tai... Who still doesn't believe that I've gotten to be a good cook in recent years, and meanwhile he, Simon and Izzy are all busy dealing with a computer virus or something..." Sora then walked over to Taichi and tried poking him. "Tai... You okay over there?" Sora asked Taichi who tried saying something... Only for it come out muffled. "Yeah Tai?" Sora said to Taichi who then got out of the couch and said "I said I had to make a hell of a phone call. And right now, a Digimon is planning to cause chaos for whatever reason." Sora sighed and responded "I guess I'm gonna have to do something now aren't I?" Taichi then realized that he and Sora were supposed to go on a date today. "Oh crap... I'm so sorry! It's just, I've been busy and all that!" Taichi said trying to apologize to Sora who responded "Tai... The world's at stake and I'm a Digimon Tamer... So I can understand what's going on."

Taichi felt quite a bit of relief flow into him, but as he was about to say something... Sora put her index finger over his mouth and said "But, I'm not just gonna let you charge into battle all by yourself. Cause I'm going with you!" Taichi's eyes widened, knowing that he can't say no to Sora due to the fact that, she's known for her insistence. Sora then went into the room to see that Koushiro and Simon were sitting and looking at the computer screen. "Oh... Hey Simon." Sora said in a deadpan tone. Simon just waved to her as though it were the most nonchalant thing in the world. "Oh Sora, thanks for joining us. I didn't know Tai was gonna call you." Sora sighed at Koushiro's comment and Biyomon said "Tai didn't call us. We just came here because Sora was going to go on a date with Tai." Guilmon then walked up to Biyomon and asked "Are we always this honest when it comes to our Tamers?" As if he were lampshading the other's attitudes. Biyomon shrugged her shoulders and responded "Probably." Before Sora knelt down to look at the Digimon on screen. "Oh, so it's another bug Digimon like TyrantKabuterimon." Sora said before Koushiro corrected her saying "It's a Digimon that seems to have a virus attached to it, but it's not an insect type based on the data I got on it."

Taichi walked into the room and saw that everybody was gathered at the computer screen. "So then, how are we gonna do this? Cause right now, it's gonna be five on one when it comes to beating this asshole." Taichi asked the others for a suggestion when Simon immediately thought of one. "Well guys since you're so eager, how about we demonstrate the other feature that comes with Digimon traveling through the internet?" Simon suggested to the others while signaling Guilmon to touch the computer screen. He immediately entered in, followed by Biyomon. "So what? They can go in, what's so new about that?" Taichi said before he was forcefully shoved into the computer screen to follow Biyomon and Guilmon. Sora and Koushiro were taken aback by this new feature and they all decided to jump right into the computer. "Yuko! We're gonna go save the world from a computer virus, be back in a bit!" Simon shouted to Yuko who then responded "Okay! The cake'll be done in a few more minutes!" Simon jumped in after the others and then... Everything was now happening on the computer screen. Simon had run into the group who is now floating through the tube leading further into the internet.

"Woah... This is the internet! I never thought something like this could be possible!" Koushiro said in shock and amazement at what was currently going on. Sora was also a bit curious, and at the same time worried. Taichi on the otherhand, was just neutral to the whole thing because of how he got here. "Next time warn me Ackerman!" Taichi said to Simon who responded "Well excuse me princess! I needed to demonstrate the other feature to our friends here, who otherwise wouldn't have thought of this." Taichi then crosses his arms and grumbles to himself. While they were flying through the internet, someone else had decided to check on the whole Infermon situation and get himself and his partner inside the computer. Guilmon was leading the charge towards Infermon and was trying to sense how much data he took. "So Guilmon, how powerful is he now?" Biyomon asked the red saurian who responded "Honestly, I think we'd better go straight to Mega level once we reach him. Otherwise, he'll think to destroy us in our Ultimate forms." Simon was also thinking about how powerful Infermon has gotten at this point. He then saw that two others had come in to join them, and it was none other than Yamato Ishida and Gabumon. "You called Matt here?" Simon asked Taichi who responded "Well, he was literally the only one available right now, so we have to take what we can get."

* * *

Yamato looked over at the others and said "Nice to see that everybody's here. How's that eye doing Ackerman?" Simon looked over at Yamato and responded "I got better. Now let's get in there and beat that bastard up!" They then entered through the access port to see Infermon standing on what appeared to be metal beams of some sort. "Have you come to give me more hatred?" Infermon asked the group who were initially confused. "Guys, no time to answer, so let's do this!" Simon said before inserting the core drill into his Digivice, and just like with Agumon and Tentomon... Everyone was watching these events unfold.

 **SPIRAL MATRIX EVOLUTION._**

 **Guilmon Spiral Matrix Evolve to... Gallantmon!**

 **Agumon Spiral Matrix Evolve to... VictoryGreymon!**

 **Tentomon Spiral Matrix Evolve to... HerculesKabuterimon!**

 **Biyomon Spiral Matrix Evolve to... Hououmon!**

 **Gabumon Sprial Matrix Evolve to... ZeedGarurumon!**

VictoryGreymon and ZeedGarurumon were the first to charge at Infermon, landing a few powerful blows on the Ultimate level Digimon. "Alright guys, let's get in there and stop them!" Simon said while unbeknowst to him, a moniter of his head appeared above Gallantmon. Infermon saw this assault and decided to charge head on... While undergoing another change. He then transformed into what appeared to be a demon with dark blue armor, long tentacle like appendages, with those same claws as earlier and he now had gold hair flowing from either side of his head. His mouth was forever open as though it were a slack jawed expression and he had a hole in the center of his chest. "It evolved again!" Taichi exclaimed out of worry for Sora and Koushiro. Suddenly, his arms stretched out and hit both Hououmon and HerculesKabuterimon. Though he fired an energy ball at Gallantmon who held up his shield at the last second. Though that sent him down to the floor...

Gallantmon felt a bit disoriented by the blow and shook his head for a bit. "Ow... That thing just straight up cheated. Not only did he bypass champion form, but he went straight to Mega form from his Ultimate form." Gallantmon said looking up at the Digimon holding down both Hououmon and HerculesKabuterimon. "Sora... You okay...?" Koushiro asked while in pain as the Digimon kept on holding him in place. "I'm fine... It's just not a favorable predicament..." Sora said in response. Meanwhile, Taichi and Yamato were both getting quite angry at the Digimon both charged him from seperate directions. ZeedGarurumon ended up firing mutiple projectiles at the Digimon who ended up not only dodging the attacks, but also countering them with his own. Gallantmon studied it's patterns and seemed to recognize the beast based on a Digimon card of all things. Simon in his data core said "That thing's a Diablomon for sure. But... Who put him in here to begin with?" He then started to ponder about Diablomon while VictoryGreymon was beating it down. Though unfortunately, when he and ZeedGarurumon tried attacking him again, Diablomon was able to easily anticipate that and fire another few blasts at them and significantly damage them.

He then retreated further into the internet as though he were plotting something further. Gallantmon looked at VictoryGreymon and ZeedGarurumon and noticed how damaged they were. "Idiots! This is exactly what happens when you charge without a strategy!" Gallantmon said berating the two. Hououmon and HerculesKabuterimon were resting from the damage they took earlier. Though at least with Hououmon, she could heal herself and HerculesKabuterimon. Suddenly, Yuko Kamiya's face appeared in front of the group. "Excuse me, but why is there a timer on every electronic appliance in the house when I finished the cake?" Yuko asked the group of Tamers who were quite confused by what she meant... Until she typed in a command to the computer to show a ten minute time limit that was slowly ticking down. "Excuse me... But what's going on right now?" Koushiro asked Yuko who responded "Well... That weird Diablomon guy set up a timer and... I think that he's plotting something now..." Gallantmon then began to ponder what the timer could mean... Until he figured out the obvious. "In all the movies I've seen, a timer usually means something or someone is going to blow up. And with all the things Diablomon has hacked so far... I think he might have gotten his hands on nuclear missiles..."

Sora and Koushiro were both quite shocked at Simon's analysis and Koushiro then said "Wait... You figured this out based on your knowledge of various movies?" Simon looked over at Koushiro and responded "Well, what else would Diablomon need to hack in order to blow stuff up over a large radius?" Koushiro tried to come up with an argument against that... But couldn't find one at the moment. "Okay, so what's next Simon?" Sora asked Simon who then as Gallantmon changed into Crimson mode immediately. "I say we go in there together and destroy Diablomon!" Gallantmon said while pointing at the hole that Diablomon crawled into. Though unfortunately, VictoryGreymon and ZeedGarurumon charged in first... "Seriously guys!? We're supposed to be a team!" Gallantmon shouted in rage at the two who were still going in headstrong despite their injuries. HerculesKabuterimon went up to Gallantmon and patted him on the shoulder. "Hey now, I still think of you as our leader." The Hercules beetle said to Gallantmon who felt some reassurance flow through him. Sora shrugged her shoulders in the data core and said "Yeah, at least you're willing to come up with a plan... While my boyfriend and his best buddy think to charge in like they're Leeroy Jenkins... But then again, that courage is kind of why I like him so much." Gallantmon shrugged his shoulders at Sora's statement.

Meanwhile, Yuko looked over at the computers and noticed that Diablomon was rapidly multiplying. "Guys... I think your new nemesis is already learned a new technique." Yuko said to Gallantmon and co. Simon then responded "What now? He's already got a time bomb set up, so what's next multiplication?" Yuko remained silent after Simon said that. Suddenly, Simon realized what he said might've been what Yuko was trying to tell them. He then said "Shit! They're already screwed!" Before going towards the closed hole and stabbed into it with both Falchion and Blutgang. He then tried prying the doors apart, before realizing the doors would be near impossible at this rate. Suddenly, Jesmon appeared before Gallantmon and said "I'll help you. But mostly because Diablomon is wishing to destroy both this world and your world." Gallantmon smirked before both he and Jesmon gave quite a bit of effort. They were then joined by Hououmon and HerculesKabuterimon who got on either side and pried it open with their arms/talons. And with their combined effort, the team was able to open the door. "My apologies, I need more practice with warp evolving... So please forgive me when I say that you're on your own." Jesmon said before leaving. Gallantmon, Hououmon and HerculesKabuterimon headed into the hole together...

* * *

Earlier with VictoryGreymon and ZeedGarurumon...

The two kept on running towards Diablomon, in the hopes that they will be able to destroy him without having the others get hurt. "So Tai, what made you decide to join me in taking him down solo?" Yamato asked Taichi who responded "Well, Simon was gonna probably come up with some elaborate plan that would take probably five minutes to explain and we've got no time for that crap!" Yamato felt proud of his best friend for saying that. "So then, we just find Diablomon wherever he's hiding and this time, we kick his ass!" VictoryGreymon said to ZeedGarurumon who responded "I'll use my mounted cannon to destroy all traces of Diablomon from this earth!" Once they reached their destination... What happened next... Was something they didn't see coming. All of sudden, one Diablomon was suddenly hundreds of thousands, or even millions. And they were all running around the place. "Ho-ly Shit..." Taichi said regarding the whole situation. Yamato looked around and couldn't believe what had just happened. Suddenly, all the Diablomon noticed their prescience. Taichi looked over at Yamato and said "Matt, if we survive this... Remind me to never listen to you again..." Yamato ended up nodding to that statement out of sheer fear overwhelming him. All the Diablomon then fired multiple shots at the two, who were barely avoiding each and every one...

Until one of them hit ZeedGarurumon. The metallic wolf was then taking so many shots that he couldn't move from his spot. The same case ended up happening to VictoryGreymon. And it was then, that hopelessness seemed to sink into not only the people viewing this on their computers... But also Yuko, out of sheer dispair at her son nearly dying at that Digimon's hands. "Tai! Get up! You wouldn't let something like this beat you... Right?" Yuko said trying to motivate her son to get up. "You're just as stubborn as your father! Too stubborn to even take crap from someone like me! And you shouldn't take this guy's crap either! The mail that people are sending from all around the world... It keeps on coming, people are counting on you! So come on, get up you lazy bum!" Yuko continued to say to try and motivate Taichi to get up from the onslaught. He coughed a little along with Yamato and said "Yeah mom, I'm up. I just needed a bit before I could focus..." Yuko then had tears of joy in her eyes, upon hearing those words. "Go get em'! Take them down so you can have cake once you're done recovering!" She said to the two who then nodded, and suddenly... Something especially extraordinary started to happen... Both mega level Digimon's eyes glowed and suddenly faded, as though it were extremely significant...

[ **Cue Xenoblade Chronicles X Uncontrollable** ]

As their eyes faded, screens of various users on the emails that Koushiro has been getting appear over the numerous amount of Diablomon. At first the two mega level Digimon were getting larger... Only for their bodies to fade into their heads, which transformed into hands with large armored gauntlets. The one on the left had the V symbol on it for VictoryGreymon. While the right arm had a Z'd symbol for ZeedGarurumon. The gauntlets extended up until they made large shoulder pads. The right shoulder had what appeared to be a large cannon stored within, while the left arm had a shield on it. Suddenly, the group of profile pictures of various kids ended up flying into the two Mega level Digimon and it started to form a large body. Yuko was watching quite a bit slack jawed at the site. "Did... Did those two just merge together? And did I do that?" Yuko asked herself before focusing back on the screen. Meanwhile, Gallantmon and co. were navigating through the tube in the hopes of reaching Taichi and Yamato... Only to discover that they've merged into one sentient being. "VictoryGreymon..." Koushiro muttered and Sora added "And ZeedGarurumon..." But then Simon finished saying "They've combined to create..." But then the new Digimon interrupted saying "Omnimon, Arbitrator mode!" And opening it's blue eyes.

Taichi and Yamato were suddenly in the same data core, though they weren't really feeling awkward about it at all... But that still didn't detract from what they both thought about this scenario. "This... Is... AWESOME!" They both said simultaneously. The Diablomon then turned to Omnimon and fired their attacks at him. HerculesKabuterimon and Hououmon were panicking, and wanted to go help them. "Relax, he's got this." Gallantmon said to reassure them. Omnimon then summoned a large sword in his hand. " **Transcendent Sword!** " He said before taking the large victory sword with DigiCode written in it and deflecting every shot that Diablomon fired at him in one swipe. Gallantmon, HerculesKabuterimon and Hououmon decided to get in there and take out as many as they could along with their new comrade. Suddenly, the shoulder cannon jutted out and then extended, before folding onto Omnimon's right arm. " **Supreme Cannon!** " Omnimon said before targetting one group of Diablomon with a single shot of cannon... Which then wiped a lot of them out. Along with Gallantmon, HerculesKabuterimon and Hououmon... Omnimon was able to wipe out all of Diablomon's clones in just a few seconds. And then, the real one appeared before the group.

"Guys! There's the original, let's take him out!" Gallantmon said before Diablomon caught on and started jumping around. This left the group of Tamers trying to track him based on his movement. Gallantmon then said "Guys, let's split up and restrain Diablomon for Omnimon here." To HerculesKabuterimon and Hououmon. Omnimon caught wind of this and stood there while waiting for the signal. Unfortunately, there was only one minute to get him. As the timer was slowly ticking down, there were two nuclear missiles that Diablomon launched using the government's access codes. One is aimed at America, while the other is aimed at Japan. Gallantmon and the others set themselves up in different positions and waited for Diablomon to move towards their location. Though Diablomon thought of targetting Gallantmon instead of distracting Omnimon. Meanwhile, Yuko then noticed why the Digimon aren't going as fast as they should... Because of all the emails. "Okay, so all I gotta do is send them to this email account and then I'm golden..." Yuko said to herself while typing in the email address that Diablomon sent earlier after saying hello.

She then pressed enter and just as Diablomon was about to hit Gallantmon, he started to lag. Gallantmon took this opportunity to grab one of his arms and head towards the clock he saw earlier, while HerculesKabuterimon rushed in and grabbed the other arm and Hououmon used her talons to restrain his legs. "Omnimon! Now!" All three mega levels said to Omnimon who then charged in with his grey sword and was prepared to end the Digimon. "5, 4, 3, 2..." All of them muttered as the timer ticked to it's last seconds... With Taichi and Yamato screaming "1!" Before stabbing Diablomon in the head and the clock behind him... Thus stopping the timer from ending. "Mission... Accomplished..." Diablomon said before disintigrating into nothing but data, which ended up going absolutely nowhere since this wasn't the Digital World. Yuko had left the computer to put on the finishing touchs to the cake. "After contributing to saving the world... I feel like Tai should at least give this a try for all my hard work..." Yuko said to herself, feeling pride in what she's accomplished. Suddenly, the formerly armed nuclear warhead landed harmlessly into the ocean with many spectators wondering what the hell was going on. And just like that, all the connections to the internet were restored and the EDEN community could live in harmony again. Jesmon felt proud of his friends who single-handedly saved the day from Yggdrasil once again...

[ **End Uncontrollable** ]

* * *

As the group was starting to head back, Omnimon had grabbed a hold of Gallantmon's shoulder and said "Hold on... I need to speak to you alone..." Gallantmon looked over at HerculesKabuterimon and Hououmon before telling them "Go ahead... We'll catch up..." They then left the two Royal Knights alone. "So, what'd you want to talk about?" Gallantmon asked Omnimon who responded "I wish to make right on all the wrong I've committed as a Royal Knight." Gallantmon looked at Omnimon and said "Well... You were under the influence of Yggdrasil, which ended up making you more manipulative rather than just intelligent." Omnimon then felt a bit of shame and responded "And that's why... I know that you'll never forgive me... But I would at least like to atone for what I've done to you and your friends." Gallantmon put a hand on Omnimon's shoudler pad and said "Well, one thing I am glad about is... That I have one of my best friends back again..." Before going into the tube, following HerculesKabuterimon and Hououmon. Omnimon followed shortly afterward and they all ended up back in Taichi's apartment, with the exception of Yamato and Gabumon who ended up back in thier apartment with Mr. Ishida.

Simon looks at the group and notices that they are all back in their rookie state. "Well guys, with some help from Tai's mother... I could safely say that this makes it the fourth time our group has saved the world from evil..." Simon said while jotting it down in his notes. Koushiro and Sora were confused until Taichi said "We saved the world from Vamdemon, the Royal Knights, TyrantKabuterimon and now this..." They then understood immediately. Sora then got up and said "Well Tai, this more than makes up for our lack of a date today... So go you.." Before pecking him on the cheek. Yuko then shouted "Okay kids, the cake is done!" Before everyone including Taichi went to the kitchen to try out Yuko's newest cake. Though it was smaller than the one she made for Simon's birthday, it still tasted just as good. The Digimon ended up stealing some frosting from the cake with similar results. It would seem that for now, all seemed right in the world. But then again, who am I to say that everything goes back to normal for long... As they were eating something was plaguing their minds. Which was the last thing Diablomon said before he died. "Mission... Accomplished..." Simon and Taichi thought to themselves as they pondered just what exactly he meant by that. And what could Yggdrasil have wanted just from causing chaos via the internet...?

* * *

Meanwhile in America...

Daisuke and Hikari were sleeping somewhat peacefully in their shared bed, but then Daisuke ended up waking up and noticing something about V-Mon and Gatomon. It was the fact that, despite there being more than enough space on the bed to sleep in... They decided to sleep on a pillow that was placed on the floor. This ended up getting Daisuke thinking about something a bit odd regarding the two, and he lightly shook Hikari awake. "Hey, Kari. Could you please wake up?" Daisuke said as he continued to lightly shake her. "Huh? Davis... It's not even morning yet..." Hikari said in a somewhat tired state. Daisuke pointed over at V-Mon and Gatomon before whispering "So Kari... Do you think they're a thing? Just like us?" Hikari pondered Daisuke's question and responded "It's just your imagination. They haven't said anything about it, and unlike Guilmon and Renamon... They're not exactly shy about how they feel. One's really naive and the other is just... Well really stoic most of the time." Daisuke still seemed a bit skeptical about the whole scenario. "Look, if it makes you feel any better, we'll ask them tomorrow morning alright?" Hikari suggests to Daisuke just to calm him down. He then nods and says "Yeah... You're probably right Kari." Before they both laid back down in bed, with Hikari still resting her head on his chest.

Daisuke continued to look at the pair of Digimon on the floor and smiled at the two. "Either way, I still think that you two look adorable together." Daisuke whispered to himself before falling back to sleep. With Takeru and Ken, their Digimon seemed to be content with sleeping next to their partners... It would seem as though the night would last for a long time. The air seemed to still have an eerie flow to it, and most citizens in America that were watching the whole incident on the computer either felt relief that it was all over... But at the same time felt afraid that the missiles in the ocean could still go off. So besides the Tamers in California, not a lot of citizens ended up sleeping that night. Which included a young blonde teenager, who wore a maroon colored jacket, blue shorts, a white inner shirt and blue sneakers. He watched the whole thing on the internet and was surprised that, a couple of kids could defeat that monstrocity. However, he shook his head at the thought that ran through his head. "No. I shouldn't rely on anybody for what I'm about to do!" He said to himself, which seemed to concern his Digimon partner... Who appeared to be a Terriermon similar to Henry's Terriermon.

* * *

Back in Yggdrasil's tree...

Yggdrasil and Grima watched as the nuclear missiles were disarmed and now sitting in the ocean. "So, plan A failed to defeat the Digimon Tamers... How sad." Grima said somewhat sarcastically, knowing full well that they would have stopped the plan anyway. Yggdrasil shrugged his shoulders and responded "Oh well, I guess it's time to move on then... So how do you propose we go through with Plan B?" Grima pondered the thought and looked over at the Digimon associated with Plan B. "What exactly does this particular creature want? Because it seems that it targets whatever is in range of it's arms." Grima asked Yggdrasil who then answered "Well, it's quite simple. During the planning phase, I had found this creature as small as an In-Training Digimon that I could easily manipulate. So once I captured it, I implanted a virus that would drive him insane. And give him the ability to take anyone he captures into it's own little world. A world in which it's possible to reverse time. Though Digimon are unaffected by this, based on my tests... He is even more powerful than most Digimon we've used thus far. He may not be a Royal Knight, but he is certainly filled with potential." Grima seemed to think that, this creature wanted to take Grima into his own body... So that he could cause the body he's using to de-age...

Based on Yggdrasil's assumption. "Alright then, we'll use him. But we'll need to convince him to target a majority of the Tamers. So use whatever tricks you have up your sleeve." Grima said to Yggdrasil before retreating back to his throne. Yggdrasil felt more glee overcome him as he approached the bars that held the Digimon in question. "Hello there... Old friend. I have good news for you..." Yggdrasil said to the creature who then came up to the being of the tree. "I have found your Tamer like you wanted... However, he seems to be among a group of children known as the Digimon Tamers. You'll have to take at least a few of them into your little world in order to find out if your precious Tamer is among them." The Digimon seemed to be intrigued by the offer and nodded in response. Yggdrasil then opened a portal for the creature to enter. "Well then go into the world and find him! He should be easy to locate if you know him well!" Yggdrasil said before the creature phazed through the bars that would have electrified him should he try it beforehand. And entered the portal to find his Tamer. Yggdrasil then smirked before cackling like mad...

 **つづく**


	24. Hurricane Touchdown!

The following is a non-profit Fanfiction. Digimon is owned by Toei Animation, Bandai, Akiyoshi Hongo and licensed by Saban Brands. Please support the official release, by buying the DVDs...

Digimon Tamers Crimson OVA 2: Hurricane Touchdown!

Six years ago...

In a flower field within Colorado, a small blonde haired boy was frollicking in within... And he seemed to have two Digimon following his every step. Those two Digimon appeared to be small little ghosts, one green with one horn named Gummymon and the other named Chocomon. It seemed that it was all fun times from there... Until suddenly a strange darkness came around the field. The child was too busy enjoying himself to really notice what was happening, until he heard a scream from one of his Digimon... Who suddenly disappeared. He looked around the fields frantically with Gummymon, who was just as concerned with his friend as his human partner was. The Child then shouted "Chocomon!" while continuing with his search. Little did he know, Chocomon was being experimented on by Yggdrasil as a potential plan to destroy his would-be nemesis Simon Ackerman. And throughout his research, Chocomon grew bigger and bigger... Until he reached a Champion level state. In the fields, the child was beyond devastated that, one of his best and only friends... Was taken from him before his eyes. He then started to cry over his beloved partner. Gummymon did his best to try and give his human partner comfort... But it was almost all for nothing.

Throughout his days, Willis... The boy in question would wonder whatever happened to his Digimon friend, but then learned how to cope with it over the course of a few years. He had even gotten himself a girlfriend from Japan who taught him bits and pieces about the language. Though he couldn't really get the hang of the language, he did at least understand most of it in their two years as a couple. Though things ended up getting complicated when she had to move back to Japan, and thus Willis was left all alone again. With his Digimon Terriermon. This Terriermon unlike Henry's Terriermon seemed to not be as snarky, though he was also somewhat filled with guilt regarding his own friend's disappearance. Nowadays, the two had spent their time with Willis' mother, who was kind but is often intimadating due to her strictness. She is fully aware that her son is a Tamer, and the potential dangers that he must face as one of the Digimon Tamers. However, she was lucky to be in an area where Digimon don't often appear. Then again, anything can change... All fate needs to do is simply move some stones around, and position them properly before the strangeness can commence...

* * *

Present day...

Willis was spending time in San Francisco with Terriermon, because of a rumor that he heard about a strange force crushing things as it passes through. He had thought that maybe, what he heard about Chocomon was true... And that he is now something far different than he was beforehand. Willis and Terriermon were lucky to get an room in a cheap motel, where they didn't really need to pay all that much for anything... Since they weren't staying for long. "Hey Willis, what do you think's on TV today?" Terriermon asks his Tamer who responded "Eh, it's probably just some dumb cartoons or something. Besides, I'm sure that there's a bit more interesting things on the news channel." Willis and Terriermon then tried watching the news... Only to end up bored completely stiff. Although, one thing he noticed on the news was a mysterious trail of smoke that seemed to crush things in it's path. "That's... That's Chocomon!" Willis exclaimed before grabbing Terriermon and heading out of the motel room with his backpack. As he was running, he noticed all the crushed one way signs and walls that were likely climbed on. He continued to follow the trail for a number of blocks. On another end, Tamers Takeru Takaishi and Hikari Kamiya, were getting a picture taken by a friend of theirs... Who happened to be a person who lived in Highton View Terrace.

She had long brown hair, a yellow long sleeve shirt with what appears to be a work skirt, white sneakers and she seemed to have caramel colored eyes. The Digimon were kept hidden during the photos that the girl was shooting for Takeru and Hikari, just so that she wouldn't get involved in the whole thing. "So guys, what'd you think? Is San Francisco nice or what?" The girl said to Takeru and Hikari who were somewhat feeling awkward about the whole thing. "Look Mimi... It's not that this isn't nice or anything... But Kari's already got a boyfriend..." Takeru said to the girl named Mimi who was confused by this whole thing. "But... But I thought that you and Kari were a thing... What happened?" Mimi asked Takeru who was about to answer only for Hikari to pull out her phone and show her the picture of herself and Daisuke at the beach. Mimi gets a good look at said picture and says "Well, you've got one hunk of man-meat right there. That's for sure." Suddenly, Mimi felt something grab her... To which Takeru and Hikari tried saving her... Only for her to disappear. "Okay... Just what the hell happened?" Takeru asked Hikari who didn't know how to respond.

* * *

Back in Japan...

Simon seemed to be a bit weary today, which made sense... Two days after Diablomon took over the internet, he's been looking around the streets with Guilmon for any Digimon that could try and start things. He then saw a smoke trail pass by him and head in his general direction. Guilmon immediately sensed something wrong with it and started to give chase. "Find something buddy?!" Simon tried asking Guilmon who kept on running after the smoke and even jumping over a Taxi cab that was at a stop light. Simon also passed by said taxi cab, and the driver looked into his drink and said "I swear, five years ago I see all this weird crap... And now, I suddenly see it again!" Before deciding to shrug it off and continue driving after the light hit green. When Guilmon stopped, he was at the Dojo where Henry and Terriermon were known to go to. Simon remembered that Rika and Suzie, along with their Digimon were going there to watch him train. Once he got in there, it was practically like a ghost town... With the exception of Henry's sensei... Who seemed to have gotten beaten up pretty badly. "Hey sir! You okay...! Sir!" Simon said looking at him and the sensei said "I'm fine. It's just... That thing... Took Henry and the others... I don't know what that was and why... But please, be careful Mr. Ackerman if you plan on fighting it..." Before passing out.

Simon immediately dialed an ambulance which then picked up Henry's sensei and took him to the hospital. "Simon... I think we should get in touch with Nia before it's too late..." Guilmon said to Simon who started dialing Nia's cell phone number... Until he saw what appeared to be Beelzemon riding on behemoth. "I heard that there was this weird smoke going around town... And that's why I came... To make sure you were okay..." Beelzemon said before splitting back into Nia and Impmon. Simon embraced Nia out of sheer worry and then noticed the police sticker on Behemoth's windshield. "I'm guessing you two are now cadets for the force?" Simon asked out of sheer curiosity before Nia nodded to confirm his suspicions. "Well then, Mr. Vigilante... Any plans?" Nia asked Simon who remembered that's what most of the police force called him. "You certainly pick up more than a handful of training from the police department don't you?" Simon asked sarcastically to which Nia smiled and responded "Naturally..." Before the two ran towards the apartment complex...

In other parts of Shinjuku and Odaiba, the other Tamers seemed to have disappeared from whatever they seemed to be doing. And those who disappeared, ended up in what appeared to be an empty void. Taichi, Yamato, Koushiro, Sora, Henry, Rika, Suzie and their partners were all stuck there. Though the Digimon appeared to be unaffected, their Tamers meanwhile could only sit there in a kneeling position and look downwards. All they could do is think on how things were going to end for them. However, for Taichi and Yamato's case they ended up hoping their thoughts would get through to Takeru and Hikari. "You guys need to save the day!" They both thought to themselves, in the hopes that they'd have some kind of connection to their siblings... Back in Simon's apartment, he and Nia had gathered some equipment from their respective homes and prepared to take it to America. Nia had decided to have Impmon store her firearms since they want to hide any amount of evidence to suggest they were carrying anything illegal. "So Simon, are we gonna have Impmon teleport us there as Wizardmon? Or do you have another method?" Nia asked Simon who responded "Well Nia, do you remember a couple days ago, Me and some of the other Tamers took down a Digimon called Diablomon?"

Nia then thought about it and nodded to confirm his question. "Well, apparently Guilmon had recently told me about a community of Digimon that existed on the internet and that all Digimon have access to it. But, in order for us to go through... Our Digimon partners would need to open the portal for us. Guilmon, would you do the honors?" Simon explained to Nia before having Guilmon open the portal on his desktop computer. Impmon looked closely at the portal Guilmon just entered through and said "Geez, you'd think that the government would notice this kind of crap..." Simon sighed and just had Impmon and Nia jump in before he joined them. Inside the computer, Nia saw some parts of the city withinside the internet and felt captivated in every bit of what she saw. Hackmon saw the Tamers and their partners go by and said to himself "What could Beelzemon and Gallantmon be up to...? I sure hope that the Demon lord isn't going to kill anyone just for kicks... But then again, Gallantmon has told me that Beelzemon has changed. Now let's see how that change is going to affect our world as a whole..." He then turned his attention toward the stadium in the center and decided to hone his skills by practicing his Warp Evolution. For the purpose of increasing his durability...

* * *

Back in America...

Hikari and Takeru were still in the same area, while Takeru was holding the laptop that almost dropped because Mimi had disappeared. "And again I ask, what the hell just happened?" Takeru asked Hikari who seemed really confused because of that whole thing. Gatomon looked up at her Tamer and seemed very concerned about her. "TK, I honestly don't know. That smoke had just grabbed Mimi and now she's gone. And she's not even a Tamer!" Hikari answered Takeru who sighed out of the fact that, now even their close friends are getting involved when they aren't Tamers. All of sudden, they saw a kid with a Terriermon run by and they decided to run after him. "Hey wait up!" Hikari shouted after getting quite a few steps ahead of Takeru who was lagging behind with Patamon on his head. Suddenly, it seemed that... Our trio of Tamers at the scene, were going to get more than they bargained for. Willis seemed to just stand there with Terriermon, when it seemed that the smoke from earlier gathered and formed into what appeared to be a large monster rabbit... With a large muscular build and what appeared to be a strange looking face. There were also horns on it's head as well as ears that drooped. The rabbit growled at Willis, who still stood there hoping that the Digimon would stop.

"Chocomon... Is that really you? After all this time?" Willis asked out of shock, figuring out that the Digimon before him was indeed Chocomon. Takeru had decided to analyze the Digimon with his D-Power. "Wendigomon, Champion Level, Virus Type. Attacks are: Destroyed voice, and Club arm." Takeru said quoting his Digivice. All of a sudden, the Wendigomon before them muttered "Destroy..." Before crushing the fence in front of them. The Terriermon immediately charged in, followed by Gatomon and Patamon. Wendigomon grabbed Terriermon by the legs, but then Gatomon had jump kicked his arm and it caused Terriermon to be thrown near a wall. "Boom Bubble!" Patamon said firing a wave of air at Wendigomon from his mouth. "Bunny Blast!" Terriermon said firing an energy ball from his mouth at Wendigomon. The large rabbit then went after Terriermon who kept on jumping around just to avoid him. Willis looked over and noticed Takeru and Hikari. "You two stay out of this! This is between me and Chocomon!" He said to the two before running after Terriermon. Takeru felt a bit odd, just leaving a kid to fend for himself against what is probably a powerful opponent. "C'mon TK! We can't just let him do this on his own!" Hikari said to Takeru who then followed along with her.

After a while, it seemed as though Terriermon would be able to keep Wendigomon on his toes... Until the giant rabbit fired shots from his back that had all but one shot miss Terriermon. Willis had ran in front of the two just so they'd stop fighting. "Chocomon! That's enough! Don't you remember me, It's Willis! You know, your best friend?" Willis said to Wendigomon just reason with him. Although the giant rabbit then said "Go back..." Before fading away into the smoke that accompanied him. "Go back... What does that mean?" Willis asked himself as Terriermon regained consciousness. "Hey buddy! What the hell was up with that?" Takeru asked Willis, who grabbed Terriermon and immediately ran off. "If you get involved you'll get hurt! Just like your friend did!" Willis shouted as he ran towards the subway. Takeru had raised an eyebrow at Willis' statement and Patamon opted to follow him. A little later, Willis was calling his mother. "Hi mom, I'm doing fine here in San Francisco... But I'm gonna be taking a train towards Colorado... Well it's to see Summer Memory again... Alright, I'll keep calling regularly to give you an update... I'll let you know when me and Terriermon are heading back home!" Willis said in the phone before hanging it up.

He then took Terriermon into his bag and headed into the subway. Patamon listened in to the whole thing and muttered "Summer Memory?" Before flying back to Takeru and Hikari. After informing Takeru of where Willis seemed to be going, he had Hikari buy them train tickets headed towards Colorado. When they boarded the train, Hikari had immediately texted someone on her phone. "So Kari, who'd you text?" Takeru asked while holding the two sleeping Digimon. "I texted Davis just now. And judging from all the messages he sent me yesterday... I think he more than misses me." Hikari answered in response, to which Takeru then said "You're just saying that because of how much you two have been cuddling lately..." Hikari sighed and showed him the texts that she recieved yesterday. Takeru then said "Well... I'll be damned..." Before turning his attention back on the window next to Hikari.

* * *

In another part of California, specifically on the beach near a hotel... Daisuke Motomiya and Ken Ichijouji were spending time with their Digimon. V-Mon had on sunglasses and appeared to be trying to catch some rays... While Wormmon just seemed to be drinking from a pouch. Daisuke though, seemed very distant recently and Ken seemed to have deduced why... "It's about Kari isn't it?" Ken asked Daisuke who responded "Yes."

Ken then sighed at Daisuke's response and said "Well that's why we're out here on the beach. So you can unwind and not worry about texting her all the time." Daisuke then sat in one of the beach chairs and responded "I know that... But I really wanna know if she's okay, or if there's a Digimon that just appeared in the area or-" He was then interrupted by Ken placing a hand on his shoulder. "Trust me, TK's got it all covered. And I'm sure they'll let us know the moment trouble starts brewing up..." Ken said to Daisuke to reassure him. Daisuke sighed and responded "I guess you're right. After all, we have our Digimon buddies and because of that time Simon came out of my computer, we could always ask the guys to come visit if we ever get bored. And we've got two days before we head back home... So let's enjoy it while we can!" He then ran straight into the ocean water with V-Mon not too far behind. Ken had decided to follow them. It seemed for a while, they were enjoying themselves... And then Ken along with the Digimon decided to bury Daisuke in the sand as punishment for worrying too much about ifs. "Traitors! You'll pay once I get out of here!" Daisuke yelled at Ken and the Digimon in mock rage. They all ended up laughing afterwards...

Until Daisuke's phone started vibrating. "Hey Ken, it's gonna be a bit before I get out of here... So could you check my phone please?" Daisuke asked Ken who responded "Sure thing." Before going up to Daisuke's phone and checking his messages. "Huh...? It's a message from Kari!" Ken said to Daisuke who then immediately jumped out of the sand and ran up to the phone. Ken sighed and handed the phone to Daisuke. "It of course says "First of all, I'm fine Davis"... Secondly, there's a new Tamer in town along with a Digimon that just kidnapped Mimi..." Ken seemed quite shocked about this revelation. Not that Mimi was kidnapped due to barely knowing her, but the fact that apparently a Digimon is roaming around causing damage. "Let's head back then!" Ken said to Daisuke who nodded in agreement. They then ran towards the hotel they were staying in, just so they could grab a change of clothes. Suddenly, Daisuke's computer lit up and Simon along with Nia, Guilmon and Impmon appeared in Daisuke's room. "So they have a shared room?" Nia asked Simon who responded "There's a reason I didn't want to tell you this earlier." Nia then raised an eyebrow out of confusion until Daisuke and V-Mon walked into the room.

Daisuke could only stare in shock at Simon, who stared right back with the same level of shock. Simon then gripped the bridge of his nose and said "Davis... Just hurry up and get changed before we discuss why we're here..." Before he and Nia left the room with their Digimon. They then headed downstairs and awaited Ken and Daisuke. Daisuke was wearing a sleeveless vest, striped short sleeved shirt, Green cargo shorts and the orange sneakers he was known for. Ken had decided on a dark blue shirt with a zig zag wave on the bottom, with jeans and black laced sneakers. They all gathered around the table in the kitchen and Simon explained what had happened in Japan. "Turns out, Henry, Rika, Suzie, Tai, Sora, Izzy and Matt have all been kidnapped by this weird smoke that was flying around in Shinjuku." Simon said to Daisuke who responded "Well the first we heard of a Digimon kidnapping someone was Mimi getting kidnapped. And all we know is that it might have something to do with that new Tamer that Hikari encountered." Simon and Nia both raised an eyebrow at Daisuke's statement and Nia asked "So where are they going?" Daisuke checked the text he recieved from Hikari and said "Well she wants us to go to Summer Memory in Colorado. Luckily we still have the money for train tickets... But that's not gonna take us there!"

Simon sighed at the name of the camp. "Great... Another unpleasant memory of my childhood." Simon said to himself. The others seemed quite curious at Simon's resentment, until he later said "I'll explain on the train ride there..." They then bought train tickets headed for Colorado. Luckily, the camp was somewhat close to the station they were gonna be stopping at. On the train Simon and Nia were seated across from Daisuke and Ken, though Guilmon had to de-evolve into Gigimon just so he didn't have to be confined into a bag or something else. "Summer Memory was one of those places that my parents sent me to, just so I could make friends... But just like everywhere else, I couldn't make any friends and the Hazard forced me to avoid everyone except for when the counselors wanted us to do activities. The camp was shut down a few years later, but going back to it now... Is just a bit much for me." Simon said to everyone relaying his bitter memories of said place. "Well, we're sorry to hear that." Daisuke said to Simon who responded "I'm slowly getting over all this. I just need a bit more time and then it'll be fine." Nia looked over at Simon and said "You never told me this..."

Simon then responded "Well, it's because we've never had to come here... So there's no reason why I should have to bring it up." Nia sighed and said "You got me there..." Before Simon turned to look over at the window he was seated next to. Once they stopped at the station, Simon got a good look at a map of Colorado and asked someone where Summer Memory would be. The man they asked told them to follow the road going up north and then there would be a fork in the road, and from there just turn right. What they weren't entirely prepared for... Was the long walk there. At times, they would stop and take a break to drink any water they brought with them. Unfortunately, they didn't seem to make much progress in terms of their travels. "No matter how far we go... The road jusht keepsh getting longer..." V-Mon said still worn out dispite having numerous amounts of water during their travels. "Well I guess that this is pretty much like a highway. Only much more open." Daisuke responded to V-Mon who then fell asleep. Guilmon was still carrying an exhausted Impmon on his back with little to no issues, while Wormmon was able to stick to Ken's shoulder. Simon sighed and said "Alright, let's do something I'd never think we had to do." Ken responded "Call Emir for help?"

Nia sighed knowing full well what her boyfriend's response would be. Simon and Daisuke both looked at Ken and said "You're joking right?" At the same time. Ken raised his hands and said "I'm sorry! I thought you'd be for that at this point!" Simon then went towards the road and said "We're hitch-hiking and hoping that we'll score a truck." He then held out his arm and raised his thumb. Daisuke then decided to join him in the hopes of also getting a truck. All of a sudden, there was in fact a truck just passing by and it stopped nearby our heroes. "How far can you take us to Summer Memory?" Simon asked the driver who responded "I can take you to the fork, but I can't get you there." Simon nodded and said "Thanks for the ride!" The driver smiled and said "Just get into the trailer and we'll be there in no time!" Simon and co. then jumped into the trailer and sat inside the vehicle. Inside, they saw a blonde kid with a Terriermon who just so happened to be hitch-hiking as well. "I guess you're a professional hitch-hiker as well..." Daisuke said to the kid. V-Mon woke up smelling something familiar. "Hey! V-Mon that's rude!" But then V-Mon said "But that looksh like Henry'sh Terriermon!" That revelation ended up shocking all the Tamers in the vehicle including Willis who didn't even know Henry...

* * *

Meanwhile...

In the alternate dimension that Wendigomon took the Tamers of Japan, they noticed something very different about themselves. It wasn't the fact that, they were now unable to communicate through thought, but now they seem to getting younger by the minute. At first, it seemed just like two years, but now it's gotten to three years. Everybody seemed to be losing that spark in their eyes that drove them to do things, and their Digimon just tried uselessly to get them to snap out of their trance. "Lopmon, it's no use... We're stuck here now! And both our adopted siblings are getting younger." Terriermon said to Lopmon who seemed to be just as worn out. "At this rate, our Tamers will end up fading away from existence." Renamon said trying to ponder what to do right now. Agumon and Gabumon kept on trying to get their Tamer's attentions... Only to be completely ignored. "Guys... I'm really not sure if our Tamers are gonna come out of this..." Agumon said, feeling a bit of despair overwhelm him. Suddenly, he de-evolved into Koromon and started to feel more woozy. "AGUMON!" Everyone yelled at the same time. Gabumon checked on him, and then looked back at Taichi. "It must be his Tamer. If they don't have willpower left, then our power will slowly drain out of our bodies. Just like Tentomon."

Tentomon who had de-evolved back into Motimon had broke down in tears, finding out that his Tamer is not able to snap out of his trance like last time. Gabumon started feeling weaker at the seems along with Biyomon. Though Renamon, Terriermon and Lopmon seemed to be maintaining their willpower just fine for now. "I know that we gotta momentai and put our faith in Simon and all that crap... But I think because of this atmosphere, I'm starting to get really concerned right now!" Terriermon said somewhat scared of what's happening. "Yes, and I do have to confess something to you all before we end up as DigiEggs... I seem to have grown an affection for that childish Knight..." Renamon said, figuring that she was probably going to end up dead anyway, and thought that she'd get that out of the way. Terriermon and Lopmon looked at each other with a noticeable lack of surprise on their faces... After that confession. "Really? And I thought you were going to admit to something really embarassing. But that's the most obvious thing we've heard out of your mouth!" Renamon sighed and just decided to keep to herself. "I can't say anything to you dogs can I?" Renamon asked Terriermon who shook his head in response. Lopmon pointed to herself and said "But I'm a rabbit..." Before they just sat there and waited...

* * *

Back in America...

Simon and co. had decided to sit down and spend time to find out about Willis... Whom had introduced himself earlier on the truck ride. Though at first the other Digimon were unnerved by another Terriermon's prescience, they came to realize that this really was a different Terriermon than the one they knew. And so, they had decided to interact with one another. "It looks our Digimon are getting along just fine..." Willis said noticing that they're all being very chummy with each other. "Well, we're sorry for not introducing ourselves earlier, my name's Ken Ichijouji. The worm that's sitting there listening to your Digimon's jokes... Is my partner Wormmon." Ken said shaking Willis' hand and then Nia went up and said "My name is Nia Esthiem, and the little guy on my shoulder is Impmon." Impmon then said "You're lucky we're all in a good mood right now." Willis seemed a bit weary around Impmon and then shook Nia's hand. "Huh, never thought I'd see someone as cute as you after that brunette chick in San Francisco." Willis said complementing Nia's appearance. "Flattery gets you some places, but with Simon... It's not really gonna get you far." Willis seemed confused as to why Nia had just said that about his compliment. Simon then walked up next and said "Name's Simon Ackerman, and my partner who's currently monitering the Digimon activity is Guilmon. He's been my best friend for at least five years running now."

Willis seemed very impressed at that. "No way! You've had your Digimon for that long! That's longer than I've had Terriermon!" Willis responded with excitement. Suddenly, his eyes seem to gleam. Simon though was a little disturbed by that. "Thanks but I don't really need a fanboy on me right now." Simon said to Willis who sighed and responded "Oh well. And what about you Mr. Grumpy, what's your story?" Daisuke looked over at Willis and said "I'm Daisuke Motomiya, but my friends here call me Davis. My partner who's now using your Terriermon for a hang glider is V-Mon." Willis looked over at the sight, Guilmon was chasing down V-Mon and Terriermon like he's a babysitter watching the kids and making sure they didn't get hurt. "And to think he used that ability just to keep me in the shade... So what do you guys wanna know about me?" Willis asked the group to which Daisuke answered "We wanna know what you know about that Digimon who probably kidnapped all our friends!" Willis seemed too shocked to respond to that question, due to now finding out that these nice people have had their friends kidnapped by his former partner.

"Um... Well I... I gotta make a call to my mom!" Willis said to try and get out of the question. Simon and co. had decided to let him off for now and let him make his phone call. Luckily, there was a phone booth near some of the signs. Simon looked over at Willis on the phone and said "Yeah, he definitely knows something... So let's keep the question on our minds after he makes phone call." The others nodded in response. He later said "I bet he'd probably tell his mom that he met some total strangers who are gonna take him to the campsite..." They then heard Willis say "Mom don't worry, I met a couple of strangers my age who said they were gonna take us to the campsite." Simon felt himself snap and said "Excuse me for a moment..." Before walking up to a billboard and headbutting it. That singular headbutt caused a huge dent in said billboard. "Okay I'm good..." Simon said with a huge bruise on his forehead that his healing factor was working on fixing. Nia walked up to Simon out of concern and said "You shouldn't do that. Hitting your head against something will just cause brain damage!" Simon then responded "There are some things... That are worth getting brain damage." Before passing out in exhaustion.

There seemed to be a green glow emitting from his forehead, indicating that his healing factor is now working a bit faster. "Alright, now anything else you guys wanna know?" Willis asked the Tamers before noticing Simon unconscious on the ground... "Is he gonna be okay?" Willis once again asked and Daisuke then said "How about answering the previous question." Willis then got really nervous and responded "It's not something I can just tell you... ya know?" Ken put his hand on Willis' shoulder and said "We're not trying to interrogate you. We just want answers. Our friends are in danger, and we'd like to know so that... If it's your problem, then we'll help fix it." Willis later responded "That's the thing, it's my problem. So let me do it myself okay!? I don't want anyone else getting involved in this! That's why I left home! So my mom wouldn't end up getting wrapped up in all these terrible things happening! So if you and your friends wanna live, THEN STAY OUT OF IT!" They then went silent and Willis seemed shocked at the fact that, he snapped at people who were offering genuine help to him. Daisuke then got angry at Willis and punched him. "What'd you do that for?!" Willis asked Daisuke who responded "We've been through that drama before, we don't need a repeat! You're not alone in this! As Digimon Tamers, we're here to help you!"

Daisuke then held out a hand to Willis, just in case he actually understood Daisuke's point. Only for Willis to look down and say "You're all idealistic idiots! Whatever's after me probably captured your friends and those guys who were trying to follow me from San Francisco! And all you're doing is getting yourselves killed just to-" Suddenly, Simon in his sleep said "Been there... Done that..." Willis looked over at Simon, thinking he was awake... When he was still sleeping. Ken then decided to hold out his hand with his thumb up, in the hopes that a car will be passing by. Luckily, the group ended up finding a pickup truck. Nia and Ken along with Impmon and Wormmon got on first, and Daisuke was about to get on with Simon and Willis. "Hey Nia, can you grab his hands and help me lift him?" Daisuke asked Nia who then nodded and tried to grab Simon's hands... Only for the pickup truck to start driving without them. "Hey! I thought the guy was gonna wait!" Daisuke yelled to Nia and Ken who then decided to simply wait for them to get to Summer Memory.

"You shouldn't have taken that long to load up your leader on a pickup truck." Willis said berating Daisuke who responded "Well maybe you shouldn't have such an attitude about it!" They then glared at each other until Simon finally woke up and said "Ladies, I care about you both equally. Now maybe we should focus more on the fact that... Some smoke just appeared out of nowhere..." Willis looked over at said smoke, and suddenly his Digivice started beeping like mad. Street signs were being bent and then the giant rabbit monster appeared before the group. "Destroy..." It said to Simon and co. "Chocomon..." Willis then said as though confirming the Digimon's identity. Daisuke then approached Willis and asked "You know this Digimon?" Simon then walked up with a card and said "Daisuke, fight now... Ask questions later! Guilmon, you ready?!" Guilmon nodded and V-Mon also nodded to confirm that he too was ready for the fight. "Card Slash! Evolution Activate!" Both said slashing an evolution card through their Digivices...

 **EVOLUTION._**

 **Guilmon Evolve to... Growlmon!**

 **V-Mon Evolve to... XV-Mon!**

Growlmon had equipped his armor and combat shades before engaging Wendigomon, and XV-Mon had thrown in a lariat to the opponent. Growlmon then grabbed it's legs and threw it on the nearby hill. XV-Mon then said " **XV Laser!** " Before firing a beam from his chest and Growlmon said " **Pyro Blaster!** " Before shooting a large fire ball at Wendigomon roughly at the same time as XV-Mon's laser. Both seemed to hit the target and do significant damage. Unfortunately, the Digimon ended up coming out relatively unscathed and prepared to kill... "Really!? That did nothing?! Well then, how about we go straight to Ultimate?" Simon asked before Daisuke had XV-Mon de-evolve back into V-Mon. "Card Slash! Super Evolution Activate!" Both said slashing a blue card through their Digivices.

 **SUPER EVOLUTION._**

 **Growlmon Super Evolve to... WarGrowlmon!**

 **V-Mon Evolve to... Veedramon!**  
 **Veedramon Super Evolve to... AeroVeedramon!**

WarGrowlmon then got acquainted with AeroVeedramon, whom he noticed had a cybernetic arm much like half of his body. "I haven't seen this form of you... It looks cool!" WarGrowlmon said to AeroVeedramon who gave him a thumbs up, as though giving his approval to WarGrowlmon's compliment. WarGrowlmon and Wendigomon ended up locking hands, as though trying to overpower each other. As WarGrowlmon was about to fire his traditional atomic blasters... Willis got in between the two and said "Stop it! Both of you!" WarGrowlmon then stopped charging his lasers and it seemed Wendigomon finally came back to his senses. "Chocomon! I'm doing what you ask! I'm going back! So what more could you want out of me!?" Willis asked Wendigomon who then responded "Go back... To... THE BEGINNING!" Before trying to land a punch on him...

Only for WarGrowlmon to deflect it with a shoulder charge. Willis luckily got out of the way before WarGrowlmon could accidentally crush him. "Willis! What the hell did you do that for!? And after this fight, you're talking!" Simon said to Willis who responded "Alright fine! I'll tell you at the camp!" Terriermon felt that he had enough of doing nothing. Daisuke saw this and slipped Willis an evolution card which confused him at first... Until he remembered his D-Power. "Wait, so I can get Terriermon to a higher level if I wanted to?" Willis asked Daisuke who nodded in response. Willis then saw WarGrowlmon and AeroVeedramon holding their own against Wendigomon, who seemed to be growing stronger at the seems. "Terriermon... You ready?" Willis asked his partner who then charged headfirst towards Wendigomon. "Alright... Card Slash... Evolution activate?" Willis said somewhat confused as he slashed the card through his Digivice...

 **EVOLUTION._**

 **Terriermon Evolve to... Gargomon!**

Terriermon had changed into a Gargomon somewhat like Henry's Gargomon. "Woah! Did he just spawned a pair of pants!?" Suddenly, Daisuke felt like banging his head on the same billboard that Simon did. "No Davis... Your brain cells are needed for Kari." Simon said stopping Daisuke. Gargomon then pounded Wendigomon a few times and shot some ammuntion into Wendigomon before he decided to retreat. WarGrowlmon didn't really feel like De-evolving due to Simon's need of transportation. AeroVeedramon knew what WarGrowlmon was planning and decided to remain as AeroVeedramon. "Looks like he decided to retreat for now..." Daisuke said regarding the situation to which Willis responded "Yeah... But that's not gonna be the end of it. Chocomon's now got you and your loved ones pegged as targets. And soon he'll be coming after all of them!

" Daisuke and Simon both looked at Willis with skepticism. "My girlfriend's got guns and Impmon, My dad's a former mercenary and Legendary warrior so I think they're fine." Simon said to Willis stating his belief in his loved ones. "Yeah and Kari's got Gatomon to protect her along with TK, And I bet that Jun could scare that Wendigomon with just a look." Willis then felt insulted by the fact that, these two aren't taking this seriously. "After everything you've seen or saw just now... You think this is the time for jokes!?" Willis said to the two in which Simon responded "What makes you think we're joking?" Daisuke then had AeroVeedramon carry him, Willis and his Terriermon while WarGrowlmon carried Simon towards the summer camp. Daisuke deep down... Was feeling quite concerned for Hikari, since he knew that the other Tamers were kidnapped along with their Digimon partners. So even though he had faith in her, he still didn't want to think of the possibility that, Wendigomon could go after her and Takeru...

* * *

Meanwhile with Takeru and Hikari...

They had just gotten on another train headed for Colorado from a different route than Simon and co. She then recieved a text from Daisuke on the phone. "Well TK, it looks like Simon's invited himself to the party..." Hikari said to Takeru before showing him the text. "Of course... Does that guy always get himself involved with every little thing?" Takeru asked before further examining the text and then said "Oh god, he really does have to get involved..." Hikari then felt a bit depressed that her brother and likely Takeru's brother have been kidnapped along with all their old friends at Highton View Terrace. "Hey don't worry Kari, I'm sure Tai and the others are fine. Davis meanwhile, is probably highest on your priority list." Takeru said to Hikari who responded "I guess you're right... And yeah, I am worried about Davis. Even though I shouldn't be too concerned since he's got Ken and V-Mon... He and I really can't stand to be far away from each other for too long..." Takeru sighed and said "Well, we'll probably be seeing him very shortly, and I'm sure he misses you quite a lot..."

Hikari then smiled and responded "You know what? You're probably right... Thanks Takeru..." Takeru smiled and said "Anytime..." Suddenly, Hikari and Takeru noticed that it was awfully quiet... And lacking sleeping passengers nearby them. "Uh... TK... Were we the only ones on the train this whole time...?" Hikari asked somewhat concerned over the whole thing. Takeru looked around and the two then investigated up to the front car... Where it seemed no one was driving the train. They were about to be taken to another dimension... When all of a sudden, the train came to a full and complete stop. Hikari and Takeru then saw the large rabbit monster from earlier. It then said "Don't interfere..." Before fading away again... Hikari and Takeru then looked at each other and Takeru asked "Use our core drills?" Hikari then responded "Use the core drills..." Before they both then Spiral Matrix Evolved with their partners and flew out of the train and headed for their previous destination...

* * *

In Wendigomon's alternate dimension...

Renamon and co. ended up in their In-Training or in Gabumon, Biyomon and Tentomon's case... Baby forms. And their Tamers seemed to be at least Eight to Ten years old in their current state. They still continued to stare down at the empty floor. Gummymon and Suzie's Chocomon were clinging to their Tamers as though they were trying to draw some energy from them... To almost no avail. Viximon seemed to practically cuddle next to Rika. Punimon had also decided to try huddling next to his Tamer along with Pabumon and Nyokimon who seemed to be a seed with a small plant sprouting out of it's head. "Viximon... Everything seems to be getting cold..." Gummymon said to Viximon who responded "Keep strong... Our friends will get us out of this! I know it!" She then noticed that they were suddenly starting to get really cold. It seemed like they were just going to die of frostbite before they end up as Digi-Eggs once again. Suddenly... Another Chocomon appeared before the group as though he were looking for someone. "Excuse me... Are any of you Willis? Willis! Where are you! I thought you'd be here by now!" The other Chocomon said, which ended up getting Viximon and co.'s attention. "Excuse me... But who are you?" Viximon asked the Chocomon who responded "Oh, I'm Chocomon! And I could've sworn my best friend Willis was here with you guys!"

Suzie's Chocomon then asked "Why's that?" The other Chocomon thought about it, until he saw Gummymon and said "Well... It's because my second best friend Gummymon is here!" Gummymon seemed to be confused by what that Chocomon said. "I'm sorry... But I don't know anyone by the name of Willis. My Tamer is Henry. In fact, I don't think your Tamer is even here..." Gummymon said to confirm what he knew of the current situation. The Chocomon seemed to be very disappointed. "Oh well... I guess... I'm never gonna see him again until that virus is gone." Chocomon said to the others who then asked "What virus?" Chocomon then answered "The virus that mean guy gave me when he kidnapped me, and stuffed me in this lowsy box! He said that, my friend Willis was among you guys! And he said that if I sought you guys out, I could be reunited with Willis again! But to you guys, I guess that's wishful thinking." Viximon then said "Don't give up. I'm sure your Tamer is still looking for you. Besides, we still stand by ours even though they don't seem to be moving a muscle." Chocomon then said "But... I haven't seen Willis in six years... And here, for your humans... Time flows backwards at least six years. Just so I could actually find Willis again..." Chocomon ended up ultimately realizing that, he might have been lied to after all this time...

* * *

Back with Simon and co...

Simon, Daisuke, Willis and their partners had finally made to Summer Memory. There, they met up with Ken and Nia, who have been waiting very patiently for them. "Finally! We were waiting for hours!" Ken said to Daisuke who responded "We had some... Complications..." Simon then asked the two "So have you guys seen Kari and TK anywhere?" Ken was very hesistant to respond until Nia said "If Kari and TK were here... They'd have texted us by now." Daisuke seemed shocked to hear that bit of news. "Wait so you mean..." Daisuke was saying before Willis responded "I told you guys so! This is what happens when you guys interfere! People are gonna get taken by Chocomon and only I can stop him!" Daisuke felt that Willis' words might've struck him just as hard as Nia's news... Only this cemented that hidden doubt that he had inside him. Daisuke's eyes seemed to be obscured after hearing this and he said "I need some time alone..." Before retreating into a different sector of the woods. Simon then walked up to Willis and dragged him by the collar of his shirt. "Hey! Let go of me!" Willis yelled to Simon who kept on dragging him towards another sector of the woods. Simon had pinned Willis to a tree and said "Think... Before you say anything!" Willis then looked at Simon and then responded "All I said, was that you guys should stay out of the way!"

Simon then dropped him and said "You're just as stupid as I was huh? You don't even realize how hurt Davis was the moment you said that people we cared about were gonna get hurt." Willis didn't seem to understand since Daisuke seemed to be all fine and dandy beforehand. "Sure, Kari can probably take care of herself, but that doesn't mean he isn't free of worry! He and Kari from what I know of them have a very deep relationship, and here you are just saying that it's all our fault just because we wanted to help you!" Simon then said to Willis who now realized that maybe he really shouldn't have said those words. In the other sector, Daisuke had his head on a tree and tears were starting to stream from his eyes. As he leaned his head further down, his goggles fell off his head and landed on the ground. He felt like he wanted to scream at the world, but all he could do right now is cry. Ken decided against his better judgement to check up on Daisuke to see how he is. After putting his hand on Daisuke's shoulders, Daisuke realized that maybe crying wasn't the best solution. "I believe you dropped these..." Ken said to Daisuke who wiped his tears and responded "Sorry about that, it's not very manly of me to do that..." The two then went to find Simon and Willis...

Willis ended up curled up with his knees blocking his face. "I get that you were insensitive, but you gotta understand that... We understand. You're under a lot of stress right now, and you need to get over yourself. Just tell us your problems and then we'll help solve it. None of us don't really like playing the pronoun game, so make your explanation good... Willis looked up at Simon and took his hand. "Alright... Six years ago, a light had come to me in the form of a Digi-Egg. And to think, I thought of them as pets... And they talked too!" Willis started to explain to the Shadow Tamer who listened intently, while Daisuke, Ken and Nia had just arrived to listen to the story as well. Willis then decided to go further in while everyone was here. "After a little bit, I got a second Digi-Egg in the form of Chocomon. And we were probably the greatest friends ever! But then, a couple months after that... Chocomon was kidnapped by a dark force and I didn't see him until six years later. Unfortunately, it looks like whatever is infecting him has gone too far. And it looks like I've got no choice but to rely on Terriermon just to stop him." Simon was jotting down everything on a notebook he brought with him, in which Guilmon noticed that several of the drawings of him still remained.

"Okay, so we gotta destroy the Digimon itself because the virus got too strong. I think we get the point, and quite honestly, we wouldn't know how to deal with this scenario if it happened to us... But know this..." Simon was saying to Willis before Nia offered her hand and said "We'll solve it as a family... Of friends of course..." Willis then thanked the team before they decided to head over to what appears to be a group of mountains that the camp was nearby. Luckily, they were already on the top. Simon and co. deduced based on Willis' backstory that, this will be the exact area where Chocomon was since Simon remembered that there were in fact a field of flowers on top of the mountain they're standing on. "So where's the muppet minstrel now?" Simon asked before the smoke suddenly appeared and Wendigomon along with it. Guilmon got into a fighting stance along with V-Mon, Impmon, Wormmon and Terriermon. "Alright guys, we go straight to mega and don't hold anything back!" Simon said to the others. Willis then slashed an evolution card for Terriermon who evolved straight into Gargomon. Meanwhile, Simon and co. Inserted their core drills and evolved straight to their Mega Levels...

 **SPIRAL MATRIX EVOLUTION._**

 **Guilmon Spiral Matrix Evolve to... Gallantmon!**

 **Impmon Spiral Matrix Evolve to... Beelzemon!**

 **V-Mon Spiral Matrix Evolve to... UlforceVeedramon!**

 **Wormmon Spiral Matrix Evolve to... TigerVespamon!**

As the Mega levels were poised to strike Wendigomon along with Gargomon... Wendigomon started to evolve, and became a somewhat soulless Antylamon. "Great... It evolved..." Beelzemon said to Gallantmon who responded "Well, let's not waste time and kick ass before it evolves again!" They all charged at Antylamon, who was surprisingly able to keep up with almost everyone's attacks. Except for UlforceVeedramon and TigerVespamon, to which he tried countering... Only for his arms to get cut up almost instantaneously. Antylamon retreated and decided to regenerate his arms... Unfortunately, Beezlemon began shooting up his legs, which then caused Antlyamon to fall onto the ground just to regenerate. Gargomon tried to go in alone to finish him off, only for the arms to return and grab Gargomon just to throw him against another part of the mountains. He ended up sprouting his legs back and turned his hands into blades. Gallantmon looked at Antylamon and said "His healing factor's a helluva lot faster than mine, that's for sure!" Beelzemon then turned to Gallantmon and asked "Well, how fast should we end him?" Simon inside his data core pondered the thought and responded "We keep on hitting him until his core is exposed. And then we end it."

Gallantmon and Beelzemon both charged with their weapons up front and it seemed to be going on for a bit, with Antlyamon being very acrobatic and fending off most damage from the two, with a few pot shots thrown in just for good measure. Gargomon got out of the mountain he ended up stuck in, and charged at Antlyamon getting in a punch. UlforceVeedramon and TigerVespamon rejoined the others just to make sure that they can defeat the Digimon before them. "Where did you guys run off to?" Beelzemon asked the duo before they responded "Well, we were waiting for you guys to end up with a disadvantage. So that we could assist you." TigerVespamon said to Beelzemon. UlforceVeedramon then said "Well, we gotta beat this thing so we can save TK, Kari and all the others!" Gallantmon then suddenly sensed a change in Antlyamon. It ended up transforming itself once again... To a much darker version of Cherubimon. "Well... Shit..." Gallantmon said before jumping up to the top of the mountain again. Suddenly, he noticed that there were flowers on the mountain. Simon saw this and immediately grew suspicious. "Guys... I remember there not being flowers up here... And suddenly it was like years ago..." Simon said to the others to which Daisuke responds "Maybe they've been nocturnal this whole time...?" Nobody ends up responding until Beelzemon notices that there was a small blonde kid in the middle of the field.

"Where did that kid come from?" Beelzemon asked the others, but most of them were really confused about the whole situation. "Guys? Don't you recognize me... It's me, Willis!" Simon in his data core raised an eyebrow before he and by extension Gallantmon, turned to see that Cherubimon was likely manipulating time... "Great, so we're dealing with time travel..." Gargomon got in front of eight year old Willis instinctively while the others were still baffled by this. "So if we de-evolve... Then that means... We'll be little kids again!" Daisuke yelled in panic before TigerVespamon put a hand on UlforceVeedramon's shoulder to calm him down. Suddenly, Cherubimon summoned a large bolt of lightning and ended up targeting Beelzemon who ended up dodging, but unfortunately Willis was also in the path with Gargomon. "Seven Heavens!" "Eden's Javelin!" Two voices said as seven beams of light destroyed the bolt and a larger beam of light aimed for Cherubimon which scored a direct hit. Willis looked up in front of Gargomon and saw Seraphimon with his hand extended, but rather seeming to tell Cherubimon to stop trying to attack innocent people. "Stand down. If you wish to end this peacefully, you will stop trying to attack innocent children..." Seraphimon said to Cherubimon who seemed to grow even angrier.

Gallantmon had opted to go for Crimson mode, only to be thrown into the flowers. Luckily he maintained his proper form. "Great, he's not letting us go through a mode change... Which is total Bullshit! We practically gift-wrapped two evolutions for him." UlforceVeedramon looked up and saw Ophanimon slowly descending. Daisuke felt quite a large amount of relief, not just from seeing Takeru alive and well... But also Hikari being perfectly fine. "Save the emotional reunion for when we're all safe and sound!" Ken said to Daisuke who then decided to transform straight into UlforceVeedramon X as well as TigerVespamon, who turned into his X-Antibody form. Gargomon had de-evolved back into Terriermon out of exhaustion. "Looks like you'll need a power boost to help out here..." Seraphimon said before he and Ophanimon joined powers to give Willis an evolution card... Which had a Golden DigiArmor on it. "Use this card to gain a new form, and help destroy this monster!" Willis seemed very hesistant at first... Until Terriermon's resolve told him that he should go through with it. "Card Slash! Golden DigiArmor Activate!" Willis said, before Terriermon began to glow. Instead of turning into a green Rapidmon like Henry's did, this one was entirely made of gold. He then charged in to help UlforceVeedramon and TigerVespamon.

Gallantmon and Beelzemon walked up to Ophanimon and Seraphimon before Beelzemon asked "Okay, I thought you guys would make a sizeable dent in him since Gallantmon and I couldn't do anything to this body! So what gives?" Ophanimon then answered "It's because it is part holy and part virus. Therefore, neither our attacks, nor yours would really work in this situation." Gallantmon then added "And I'm guessing Crimson Mode is also not gonna do anything either..." Seraphimon and Ophanimon both nodded and then Seraphimon said "Right now, all we can do is hope their speed can keep up with his healing factor." Gallantmon looked at the fight and realized that they're right. UlforceVeedramon and TigerVespamon decided on a combo attack to end the battle, which resulted in several slashes that utterly decimated Cherubimon's body. Though TigerVespamon was a virus type, the holy attribute had no merit on his attacks. After the attack, all that was left... Was a dark core. The two opted to destroy it, only for Rapidmon to fire a missile at the core which destroyed it. As the core imploded, the area grew very bright and it seemed that time was restored for Willis' case. However, the flowers were still intact.

Chocomon approached Willis and said "I'm so glad that I found you... But now... I'm sad that I have to go again..." Willis started tearing up watching his former partner disintigrate into nothing but data. The other Digimon de-evolved back into their Rookie forms and their Tamers. Daisuke ran up to Hikari and hugged her while spinning her around. Takeru didn't mind that, Daisuke didn't go up and give him a hug since... He knew deep down Daisuke cared about him as well. Simon, Nia and Ken looked over at Willis who then said "I guess... The virus was too much for Chocomon. Now he'll never come back..." Ken decided to walk up to Willis and say "Willis, I know a thing or two about loss... In fact all of us do. And not matter what happens, your loved ones will always be in your heart." Willis then thought about Ken's words and realized that... Chocomon may still be alive, in his heart. After a while, it seemed that all went back to normal. In Japan, all the Tamers and their Digimon seemed to have been returned home along with their Digimon who regained their power. However, they still seemed to be very much asleep. As the group of Tamers headed back to California via train, Nia decided to rest on Simon's shoulder. Before doing so, Simon wondered if petting her head was okay. Which it was at the very least when he did it.

When they arrived back at California near the hotel, Willis decided to part ways with the Tamers... Under the preface that, he now understands what teamwork means... And what having reliable friends are like. Simon and Nia decided to go back home through the same computer that they came into. Though with Daisuke and Hikari, they ended up spending an awful long time with each other. And decided to spend their last day... On a date near a cafe. Ken and Takeru decided to spend some time at the beach since Takeru missed out last time. When Simon and Nia went to hang out with Henry, Rika and Suzie they were very relieved to see their friends alive and well. And so, our heroes were now prepared to return back to the status quo of their summer lives... At least until Yggdrasil comes up with yet another new plan for our heroes...

 **つづく**


	25. Plane ride home

The Following is a non-profit Fanfiction. Digimon is owned by Toei Animation, Bandai, Akiyoshi Hongo and licensed by Saban Brands. Please support the official release, by buying the DVDs...

Digimon Tamers Crimson: Knights of Grim Episode 23: Plane ride home...

Daisuke and co. were on Day 6 of their vacation, and they were sitting around the kitchen table to see what they should all do on their last full day in America... They looked through all the things they could do during this time, and realized that, they've done practically everything there is to do in California. Well except for Disney Land. Though Hikari remembered that Simon told them that Disney World in Florida was miles better. Daisuke decided to download a few songs from America... Since he wanted to know some of the things that Americans were into. Though he did question a lot of the modern day songs, he really liked some of the songs from the 80s to early 2000s. Takeru during this trip had bought a lot of things from the fad store including some T-shirts and plushies... Despite some of the funny looks that other shoppers were giving him. Hikari had spent a lot of time with Daisuke since yesterday's incident. For the two of them, staying apart for too long in a country they didn't know was one of the hardest experiences they've had to endure.

Though they may have their friends for support, neither could really give the comfort that the two of them provided for each other. Ken meanwhile, seemed to just look through most of the places they went... Just to take pictures and send to his parents because they'd like to know what America is like. All in all, it felt like a complete vacation... But what to do about this particular day... Until, they ultimately decided just to spend time looking at all the locales in the town. It all just seemed natural to them, and of course Daisuke and Hikari were still just a bit clingy to each other... Despite protesting from Ken and Takeru. It seemed to be a perfect day for all of these things, and yet they still settled on a simple walk to look around and see what intrigues them. After a while of walking, and making sure their Digimon didn't walk into a sketchy alleyway, the gang headed back. Daisuke and co. had made sure that there was an outfit for them to wear on the way back to Japan, and of course to have their souveniers in their carry ons. Daisuke deep down felt that he was going to miss Hikari sleeping on him, and listening to his heartbeat. That to him, felt like reassurance from Hikari these days.

Once they got in the airport, they all went through the process like last time... Only now a bit more accustomed to it. After boarding the plane, Daisuke and Hikari had immediately picked seats nearby the window... Just like before. Ken and Takeru said nothing about it, since at the very least they weren't going to be this clingy when they get back home. After a while, Daisuke and Hikari fell asleep. When they arrived back at the airport, Jun, Yuko, Natsuko and The Ichijoujis greeted their children with open arms. Though in Daisuke's case, Jun wanted some dirt on what he did with Hikari in case things went a little too far. Jun had Daisuke in her car, and looked at Daisuke as though she really was asking him about Hikari. "Jun, nothing happened between us alright? I slept on the floor and Hikari got the bed all to herself!" Daisuke said to Jun while in the car, trying to get out of saying how it really was. Jun looked over at V-Mon who was trying really hard not to spill any beans... Out of respect for both his Tamer and Gatomon's Tamer. "Well I guess some V-Mon torture is due when we get back home." Jun said to V-Mon who shuddered at the mere thought. Hikari had an easier time, since Yuko wasn't very prying when it came to her daughter's love life...

But that didn't mean Taichi wouldn't try to pry into what could've happened in America. Takeru had shown his mother all the things he got in America that were also for her... Since he wanted to do something nice for his mom. And Ken, was surprised at how lineant his parents were towards the whole thing... Though that was mostly because of reassurance from Kittan, who had told them about America in the first place. When the Tamers got back to their homes, it seemed that life would go back to normal. Though, since Daisuke just decided to lay down in his bead for a few minutes... That left Jun with enough time to tickle torture V-Mon. V-Mon tried to be loyal to Daisuke... But Jun knew exactly where he was ticklish. And that was through experimentation when Daisuke wouldn't tell Jun something that happened, that V-Mon was there to witness. Eventually, V-Mon succumbed to the tickle torture and Jun had finally gotten the information that she wanted. "Pleashe don't be mad at Davish! He just slept in the same bed! They never did anything! Honesht!" V-Mon said trying to dissuade Jun into interrogating Daisuke. Once she got in his bedroom, Daisuke seemed to be a bit surprised that she was in there.

"Daisuke... I need to speak with you..." Jun said to Daisuke, before they sat next to each other on the bed. "I'm not mad at you. I understand... It's just that... The whole thing was very risky. And I'm just glad it didn't go too far." Jun said to Daisuke explaining how she feels on the whole situation. "I know... And after a while... I ended up feeling the same way as Kari... Without the whole yandere-ish thing that she seems to have..." Daisuke said trying to tell Jun how he ended up feeling about it all. "I just want you to remember what we talked about alright? Don't just rush into things with this relationship. You two have something good going, and I don't want either of you to end up with nothing but regrets about just going through all the phases without understanding the meaning... And... The reason I'm not judging you... Is because I've known you all your life Daisuke. Even if you look like it, you just want to take your time with this. And I hope you understand what being in this kind of commitment means..." Daisuke nods and hugs his sister, for understanding what he's going through. "Thanks big sis..." Daisuke says while Jun pets his hair.

Though Hikari seemed to have other issues. Taichi felt a little angry regarding his little sister's post on Facebook. "Look Tai, I don't need you prying into my relationship with Davis... Just because I told him to be in a picture with me at the beach! Right now, I'm glad to be home and that's how it is." Hikari said to Taichi who sighs and responds "Kari... You know I'm looking out for you right?" Hikari at first hesistates and says "I know..." Before heading into her room. Gatomon got on top of the cat condo that Yuko had recently bought, just for her and Miko. "So... You're expecting me to claw at this?" Gatomon asked Yuko who responded "I guess you don't like it huh?" Gatomon shrugs her shoulders and says "No I like it... It's just not what I was expecting. Also, Tai... You're not going to get anything out of Kari if you keep on hounding her." Taichi looks over at Gatomon and asks "And how would you know that?" Gatomon and Agumon both sighed at Taichi's stupid question. "It's because you're not all that understanding about her current interests, and romantic life!" Taichi looked at Gatomon with skepticism and said "Oh please... Like there's any proof of that..." Yuko then looked at the post with Taichi's question regarding the bikini she chose to wear at the beach and the way Daisuke was holding her. "Okay that was one time!"

* * *

The next day...

Takeru wanted to go visit Taiki and Kiriha, since in recent days they've been getting along fairly well. Though Takeru and Kiriha hadn't been doing much interaction. Though, that hasn't really disuaded Takeru from visiting. "Takeru? What's up?" Mrs. Kudo asked Takeru who responded "Well... I wanted to see how Taiki's doing..." Mrs. Kudo then called Taiki down who came running along with Shoutmon. "What's up?" Taiki asked Takeru who then had Taiki come with him to hang out. "So what'd you want to do today TK? You wanna train with us?" Shoutmon asked Takeru who responded "I was actually invited by Taiki here, who wanted to bring me to do some training with you guys. Also, I wanted to actually get to know Taiki's best friend." Shoutmon got a bit excited to see that someone else was gonna come and help them train. "Well, Kiriha's probably geared up for some training so..." Taiki said before knocking on the door of the Aonuma residence. "Huh? I didn't know you were coming by so early. If I had known, I would've prepared something for you guys." Mr. Aonuma said to Taiki and Takeru before letting them in. "Kiriha is currently working on that studying I assigned him to, so he'll be down in a few minutes..." Mr. Aonuma explained to the duo and their Digimon. "Aw this bites! And I thought that we'd get to the Digital World in no time!" Shoutmon said complaining about the whole thing.

Patamon then jumped off of Takeru's head and asked "So how's being the Digital World's husband going?" Shoutmon then responded "Oh you know, just inspiring many of my fans with rousing speeches and my beautiful singing... Hey wait a minute! I'm not married to the Digital World!" Patamon giggled at Shoutmon's outburst and Takeru said "Well, ever since you declared yourself Digimon King... Simon decided to post this onto facebook." Takeru then showed Shoutmon a photoshopped image of him in a tuxedo with the Digital World in a beautiful wedding dress. The caption underneath said "Well guys... It finally happened." Shoutmon's jaw dropped at the post and Taiki said "Geez, you guys really don't hold back do you?" Takeru then sat back with his arms behind his head and responded "Eh, It's just our thing. Holding back would imply that we're underestimating who we're fighting. And since we've reached Mega Level, the thing we try to do is utterly decimate the more powerful Digimon that come our way." Taiki felt somewhat impressed by Takeru's prowess. "But then again, if our friends require a bit more training in regards to these transformations, I'd say we're the most skilled Taiki." Takeru said, bragging about his and Taiki's skills.

Kiriha came down with a backpack full of things he needed in the Digital World, like Taiki had a little earlier. "So, we're all good to go?" Kiriha asked Taiki and Takeru who nodded in response. Before they exited the house Kiriha went to hug his father and they all walked out the door. They made a b-line for the park and Kiriha noticed that Takeru seemed a bit shy around him. "What's with that look? You were smug when talking with Taiki here? So what's up?" Kiriha asked Takeru who responded "Well... It's just that... You and I haven't really done a whole lot of talking together." Kiriha sighed and said "Listen, we go into the Digital World... And while Shoutmon and Greymon spar, you and I will have a little chat." Takeru nodded before getting Patamon to MagnaAngemon and opening a portal to the Digital World. They had decided to train in the mountain sector of the Digital World, where there wasn't anything to really damage. Greymon had finally been brought out after a long time, and went toe to toe with Shoutmon. "Alright Shoutmon, let's see how strong we've gotten!" Greymon said to Shoutmon who responded "Oh Greymon... You and I are still on slightly different levels... But don't worry I still respect you regardless of how strong you are."

They then charged at each other and threw a large amount of attacks. Taiki had made sure to remain on one side of the area, while Kiriha was on a different side with Takeru. "Alright kid, tell me something about yourself." Kiriha asked Takeru who responded "Well... I'm a soon to be sophmore in high school, I live with my mother... And my brother is the leader of the band Knife of Day." Kiriha sighed at how dumb the band name itself sounded. "Really? And here I thought band names were supposed to be somewhat epic and whatnot. But that's probably the most generic name you could possibly come up with!" Kiriha said in surprise that Yamato was the leader of a band with a ridiculous name. Takeru then felt a bit somber and Kiriha then asked "Alright, what's with the sour mood? If my insults towards your brother's band was a bit much, I'll take it back." Takeru shook his head and responded "He currently lives with my Dad and... We hardly see each other these days. And even though I feel like my life is crap, at least I have both my birth parents." Kiriha looks over at the fight and says "Taiki's father is busy quite a lot. He's lucky if he even is home. But chances are, he'll see him on Christmas. My mom, I've realized is in mine and Greymon's hearts. But then again, Greymon made a promise to her after she died. And Taichi's father... Well, he's just been at a lot of places. It's okay to share some pain with good friends, cause they won't judge you."

Takeru sighed and said "Alright then, my fearless leader and his girlfriend's mothers are dead, Rika's father got shot, Davis' parents are both dead, Kari's kind of self explainitory and well... My parents are divorced. So it's like, I want to see Mom and Dad together... But I guess I'll never get the chance." Kiriha seemed to be somewhat satisfied that both he and Takeru have shared the things they knew about their friends and themselves. "Though I guess... All that pain did do something good. If I hadn't moved to Shinjuku with my mom... I would've never met Davis, or Ken or even any of the other Tamers... Who are now quite possibly my best friends. And of course, my little buddy Patamon would've never found me if I was in Odaiba." Patamon seemed a little surprised that Takeru and Kiriha were talking about all this. "Well, I guess the way I see things is that, without Greymon or even Shoutmon... I wouldn't have ever been involved in this whole war against Bagramon and now Yggdrasil. So I guess at least... There's a pro and a con to everything right?" Kiriha said to Takeru who then fist bumped Kiriha and said "Well the only con is that... My leader despite being good friends... Is still a bit of an asshat." Kiriha laughed at that statement and responded "That was... Pretty funny TK!"

Takeru then started laughing for a bit as well. Though Greymon looked as though he needed some assistance. Kiriha then brought out Mailbirdramon who Digi-Xrossed with Greymon and then he evolved into ZekeGreymon. Shoutmon looked at that and said "Hey Taiki, you mind giving me a boost here?" Taiki nodded and used his Digivice to evolve Shoutmon into OmniShoutmon. The two then continued their duel which probably would've destroyed many buildings should they fight in the city. "It's almost like these guys are so casual about every little thing." Takeru said to Kiriha who responded "If you've been around these guys for three years... Then yeah, you'd be right about that detail." And the whole time, he and Taiki had their arms crossed, knowing that the rest is up to their partners. Though OmniShoutmon was fast, ZekeGreymon had durability and a Strength advantage. It seemed like the battle could go on for days. Though it seemed that, one of Yggdrasil's various bodies was watching the battle from a far enough distance. It would appear that he is observing the battle... When in actuality he is observing Takeru and Patamon. And it kept it's distance away so that, Patamon nor Takeru would see or possibly sense him...

* * *

Meanwhile in Yggdrasil's tree...

Grima was watching Takeru and Patamon through the projection given to him by one of Yggdrasil's drones. "Huh... So this boy was one of the few responsible for plan b's downfall?" Grima asked Yggdrasil who responded "Yes, that's Takeru Takaishi and Patamon who can now become the almighty Seraphimon. So right now, he's among one of many to pose a major threat to us." Grima then looked intently at Takeru... "I wonder... Do you really have what it takes to help best me?" Yggdrasil sighed and looked over some of the gains he acquired from Wendigomon. "Anyway, I've only amassed a few bits of data from the Digimon that Plan B ended up trapping. Unfortunately, I'd need a lot more. I need some way to spread a little more chaos... Just to acquire enough data to evolve our friend here to the next level. And if I didn't amass more data... Then it would take at least four more years just to gain the amount of data needed for our friend to reach his most powerful form." Grima then shifted focus towards Yggdrasil and asked "Are there anymore Digimon you wish to see killed off? Or are we really at a standstill?" Yggdrasil pondered the thought, until one in particular came to mind... A Digimon that had disguised himself as an entrepreneur in the human world. Though it's mostly for his own madness.

"Dammit... Must I rely on him? He's just so idiotic... Thinking that any human would buy into his nonsense. He doesn't disguise himself well and he's trying to use something to give himself more power." Yggdrasil said to Grima describing the Digimon in question. "Anything else I would care to know about this individual?" Grima asked Yggdrasil who then sighed and answered "He's known as Mephistomon. And all I need to do is plant parts of myself into each and every one of those abominations he's built... So at least I know that, I won't need to hire him or warn him." Grima then face palmed and said "I guess it couldn't hurt... Just do that and then we'll see how things will turn out..." Yggdrasil nodded before opening a portal to the internet where his tendrils entered. He then had to examine each port where the internet would connect to a computer... But he then remembered that, not a lot of people had bought this application on their computer. So he continued his search. Grima meanwhile kept his attention on Takeru and Patamon, who were sizing themselves up against Shoutmon. "I wonder how you'll react to this whole thing... TK..." Grima said before sporting a slasher smile on his face.

* * *

Back with Xros Heart...

Takeru and Patamon were looking over at Taiki and Shoutmon... Who seemed to be waiting patiently for them to transform into Seraphimon. Takeru then fulfilled Taiki and Shoutmon's request by Spiral Matrix Evolving with Patamon to become Seraphimon. Meanwhile, Taiki and Shoutmon Spiral Matrix Evolved into KingShoutmon. "So... Shouldn't there be a boxing ring for us to do this in? Or are we just doing this no holds barred." Seraphimon said before getting into a fighting stance. KingShoutmon also adopted a similar stance and responded "Well, it'd make sense if we do this without any ring containing our intensity." Seraphimon then jumped into the air and fired his seven energy spheres at KingShoutmon who then jumped at Seraphimon before the two engaged in what could only be seen as extremely fast fisticuffs. Kiriha and Greymon sat down to watch their friends duel in the skies. "Is this like several of those shows you talked about?" Greymon asked Kiriha who responded "Well, at least we can actually see them fighting instead of just afterimages."

Mailbirdramon looked up and said "If I could go at that speed, I bet we'd be unstoppable!" Kiriha then opens up a soda can he kept in his backpack. "For now, let's just enjoy the fireworks..." Kiriha said before taking a sip. KingShoutmon then landed on the ground harshly, due to being punched out of the air by Seraphimon. "Had enough Digimon King?" Seraphimon asked KingShoutmon who then used his King Xros technique to summon the star sword. "Not even close pal!" KingShoutmon responded before Seraphimon summoned excalibur to engage KingShoutmon in a sword fight. In a bit of a surprise KingShoutmon was holding his own fairly well against Seraphimon... Though that was mostly from wielding a weapon of his own beforehand. Whereas Seraphimon had only gotten Excalibur through MagnaAngemon. And so, the thing that was keeping this from being too one sided against Seraphimon, was Excalibur being like Falchion in the sense that it was indestructible. The Star Sword is quite durable, but it's unable to shatter a blade like that. And so, the battle continued until KingShoutmon was able to successfully pin Seraphimon down on the ground, all while panting. "Had... Enough... Buddy...?" KingShoutmon said before de-evolving back into Taiki and Shoutmon. Seraphimon got up and de-evolved back into Takeru and Patamon... Who then shook hands with the two.

They then decided to journey around the Digital World and see what's been happening. So far, the Digital World looks like it's been advancing as normal. Although, there seemed to be a strange atmosphere within the Digital World. It felt like something was going on... Suddenly, Xros heart ended up spotting a portal that was built within the hub sector. "So... When was this built?" Shoutmon asked out of the blue. Greymon shrugged his shoulders and examined the portal. Kiriha pondered where exactly the portal would lead, and why would the Digital World have a portal in the middle of the hub area. "So... Where does it lead?" Takeru asked the others and Kiriha then decided to jump in by himself. "Dude! You're not supposed to go on your own!" Taiki said before jumping in with Greymon and Shoutmon. Takeru sighed and jumped in as well. Takeru had his eyes closed for a brief bit, and then opened his eyes to see a giant tube network running through what appeared to be a large net... "Woah... This looks amazing! It's almost like we're in some huge community!" Takeru said before they were suddenly greeted with a large city in the center. "I guess you're right about that! But it seems to be even larger than we expected!" Kiriha said to Takeru who sighed before they landed in the center of the area...

Where they were soon greeted by Hackmon. "Welcome young Tamer... And members of Xros Heart... This is the internet community for many Digimon to frequent. Some think of it as an extension to the hub area of the Digital World. Now then, why don't you introduce yourself?" Hackmon said to the group in front of him. Taiki put out his hand and said "My name's Taiki Kudo and this is my partner Shoutmon." Shoutmon then knelt before Hackmon. "It's an honor to meet you sir Jesmon..." Shoutmon said to Hackmon who responded "The same can be said to you Digimon King..." Kiriha felt he should question this... But decided to wait until introductions were finished. "My name is Kiriha Aonuma and this is Greymon." Kiriha said introducing himself and Greymon who bowed before Hackmon. "I see that you too can sense who I truly am..." Hackmon said to Greymon who responded "It personally is an honor to be in the prescense of a Royal Knight such as yourself." Takeru raised an eyebrow at Hackmon before approaching him. Takeru then said "And I'm Takeru Takaishi. This little guy on my head is Patamon. For now, I think he decided to take a nap." Hackmon sighed and said "I guess being an Archangel is exhausting. But for now, let me give you the tour..."

Before Hackmon could proceed with giving said tour Takeru stepped in his way and asked "Now hold on, you're a Royal Knight... So does that mean we missed one the whole time?" Hackmon shook his head and answered "I may be a Royal Knight, but unlike my late master... I am not loyal to Yggdrasil or his master." Shoutmon felt a bit nervous regarding the possibility that he might have killed Hackmon's master. "Fair enough. Next question: How are Digimon capable of entering here in the first place?" Kiriha asked Hackmon who responded "Well Mr. Aonuma... This was leftover data from a program known as EDEN. Which was said to be long dead by our human creators... However, as you can see we've gathered the data and made an area where Digimon can see what it's like in the human world. But unless they have a Tamer they're bonded to, they can't enter the human world by this means. And Mr. Takaishi... Are you associated with a man by the name of Simon Ackerman?" Takeru sighed and said "Yes... He's the leader of the Digimon Tamers... Why do you ask?" Hackmon then answered "Because he and Gallantmon had come here a few days ago, just because Gallantmon wanted to show him this whole world." Takeru felt a bit angry at Hackmon before responding "Why does Simon always keep the good crap to himself? Why doesn't he tell us any of this!?"

* * *

Meanwhile...

Simon was busy looking through posts on Facebook, just in case anybody would look at the things he posted. Though he ended up just posting a video of himself and Guilmon playing through a shooter game... Just to see if anybody cared about it. Unfortunately, nobody has yet to respond. Though a thought had just occurred to Guilmon. "Hey Simon? Shouldn't we tell the others about the Internet community that Hackmon has running?" Guilmon asked Simon who responded "Yeah we probably should... Only downside is that they're all kind of scattered right now. So I suggest we wait until everyone's together, and then I'll tell them. And besides, Tai, Izzy, Sora, Nia, Davis and Kari are the only ones who currently know about this... So it should be easy." Guilmon was at first thinking of a way to rebuke his Tamer's point... Until he decided to shrug it off and wait for the night so he and Simon can do their usual business. Though it seemed that he and Simon would be going someplace tomorrow...

* * *

Back with Xros Heart...

Takeru seemed to pace and sometimes rant. "I swear, it's like he and that idiot Emir are both cut from the same cloth! When it comes to stuff like this, it's always wait until we find out about it!" Kiriha then says to Taiki "To be fair, Emir is known for doing a lot of skecthy things on his own." Taiki puts his hands behind his head and responds "Sometimes, it feels weird for my friends to be right about something like this." Kiriha then walks up to Takeru and says "You know, maybe perhaps Simon might have a legit reason for hiding this... You gotta have faith in him and whatnot." Takeru looks at Kiriha and responds "Yeah and does he have a lot faith in us!?" Kiriha raises an eyebrow at Takeru before he then says "Okay fine! I guess he does have some faith! But I just always feel very skeptical towards him when it comes to secrets! Every single time that asshat finds a secret, he always keeps it from everyone! Literally everyone! It's just like his past all over again! Which, I'm getting sick of!" Takeru then decides to stomp towards the nearest passageway to Shinjuku, just to give Simon a piece of his mind. Taiki and Kiriha then put Shoutmon and Greymon back into their Digivices before following him. Hackmon looked over at Taiki and said "Before you go... I need to speak to the Digimon king."

Taiki looked at Shoutmon who responded "Just go. I'll be back before you know it!" Taiki then reloaded Shoutmon before heading towards his comrades. Shoutmon looked over at Hackmon who then said "Would you mind coming to the rooftops?" Shoutmon shrugged his shoulders before following Hackmon. Once they got on top of one of the highest buildings in the community, Hackmon asked "So, which Royal Knight did you fight in that large scale battle?" Shoutmon knew that this was coming and responded "It was a really powerful Royal Knight named Gankoomon." Hackmon lowered his head and said "So it is true then... You're the one who saved my master..." Shoutmon was definitely confused by what Hackmon was saying. At first he thought that he'd be challenged to a fight, but then Hackmon came out saying that he is grateful. "Well, no offense... But I didn't really like taking his life just to save the world." Hackmon then responded "Yes, but as you can see, I used to be his apprentice. At least, until Yggdrasil nearly took control of me. I ended up taking my own life before I could make the excursion towards Yggdrasil's castle... And now, I watch over these little ones learning about the human world as I have..."

Shoutmon then leaned back and said "Well, he was a very powerful adversary. Never willing to back down from the fight! And determined to win despite... Wanting me to win of course... I'm very sorry about all this." Hackmon then responded "It's fine Shoutmon. I'm actually glad to hear that. It would be horrifying if Gankoomon wasn't his true self even under Yggdrasil's influence. So he really didn't die a coward..." Shoutmon still felt relieved that Hackmon seemed to be very forgiving of his actions towards his master. "The other Royal Knights ended up just as bad as Dynasmon... Or even worse..." Shoutmon said to Hackmon who responded "Yes, but I do hear that Omnimon has returned to his senses and joined the side of good." Shoutmon then felt a bit shocked to hear that Omnimon had somehow came back to the land of the living, when he had heard that Simon and Guilmon destroyed him for good. "He had come back using the Agumon capable of transforming into VictoryGreymon as well as ZeedGarurumon... Which is quite different from what we're all used to." Shoutmon looked up into the sky as though wondering how Taichi is dealing with the fact that...

His Agumon is now a part of, what used to be one of the most vile enemies they've had to fight... And then he wondered about ZeedGarurumon's Tamer... "So, who owns the Garurumon part of Omnimon?" Shoutmon asked Hackmon who responded "A boy by the name of Yamato Ishida." Shoutmon didn't really seem to mind that, though mostly because he doesn't know Yamato... And the only people of Taichi's friendship circle he met were Sora, his girlfriend and Koushiro... Who had provided him with Goggles that can see distortions in space. "So then Shoutmon, I do believe that you must go right now..." Hackmon said to Shoutmon who responded "Right then! Thanks for the talk! It was nice getting to know someone as noble as you!" Shoutmon then held out his hand for Hackmon to take. The small white dragon took the hand and said "Likewise... Now then, go to your General Digimon King!" Shoutmon then floated up towards where Taiki and the others likely headed towards, in the hopes that they'll still be there when he arrives." Hackmon looked towards his newfound friend and felt a small tear fall from his eye. "Master... I hope that we can see each other again soon..." Hackmon said before transforming into Jesmon and flying towards another part of the community to check on things. He had then come across what appeared to be a strange message... It said "Please... Save... Him..."

* * *

Meanwhile with Simon...

Simon decided to look through his computer, just to see if anything came up. Suddenly, he noticed a message appear on his email. "Huh? Wonder what's inside..." Simon said before clicking the message and then a fist came from the computer and punched Simon in the face. He then fell out of his chair, just to be greeted by the sight of Takeru, Kiriha and Taiki coming out of his computer. "I didn't think that punching someone over the internet would happen for another few years. But now that you know about the whole Digimon internet community... That's one less person to worry about." Simon said before dusting himself off and going over to his phone. He decided to text everyone to meet him over at his place... Just to see what's the big deal. "Yeah, you wait until now to tell everyone!?" Takeru yelled at Simon who raised his hands as though he were trying to be innocent. "Alright, look... I get that you're pissed off, but if anyone's to blame it's my so called best friend here... Who kept all this from me for possibly years on end!" The others then looked at Guilmon who was a bit sleepy at the moment.

But then, Shoutmon showed up and accidentally landed on top of Guilmon, thus waking him. "OW! Don't pile on me!" Guilmon complained to Shoutmon who responded "My bad buddy!" before getting off of the red saurian. Kiriha then said "Okay Ackerman, why don't you tell us all that you know about this new internet sensation!" Simon sighed and responded "I'll only tell once everyone I've texted gets over here. Luckily there were only a few people I forgot to tell, so yeah..." Simon then cued everyone to take a seat on the couch. "Anybody want some coffee? I brew it up myself..." Simon said offering the coffee to his guests. Taiki raised his hand as though he wanted to accept the offer. "Somehow, I knew you would..." Simon said before going to brew up the coffee. "I'd like something a bit cold..." Taiki said to Simon who then looked through the mixes before deciding on a regular coffee. There was knocking on the door and Henry along with Suzie, Terriermon and Lopmon ended up joining in. "Huh... I didn't know you guys lived near each other..." Takeru said to Henry who responded "Haven't you ever wondered how I'm always here first?" Takeru thought about the answer before shrugging it off. In a matter of moments, Ken, Wormmon, Rika and Renamon ended up following Henry and Simon finally finished brewing up everyone's coffee. Though the one thing he couldn't make from that, was a latte. Since he's unfamiliar with how that works...

* * *

"Alright, so now everybody's here?" Simon asked the group who all nodded in confirmation. "So, then Simon... You gonna confirm what's going on? Or are you gonna be a little vague again?" Rika asked Simon who responded "Patience Rika, you should know that by now... From your current teacher that is..." Rika felt like blushing because she knew exactly who she meant. "Could you please get to the point?" Henry asked Simon who then pointed a finger at Henry and responded "You should practice what you preach. Now then, I called you all here just for something very simple... Terriermon, would you care to touch my computer screen?" Terriermon pointed to himself and walked up to the computer and touched it. Surprisingly, he felt a small puddle on the computer. He then went to dip his face in it and discovered the giant tube-like network within. "Hey guys! Get a load of this!" Terriermon said before jumping in. He then waved to the others and Henry stuck his hand in the computer just to make sure this wasn't a hoax. "Incredible... It's almost like... When I first met Terriermon..." Henry said in surprise to the event that just took place.

Terriermon then jumped back to Henry and said "You see? I'm okay big brother... Just momentai!" Henry then hugged Terriermon and sat back down near Rika. "As you can see, our Digimon are capable of going through the computers, and opening portals into the internet. Upon which we merely follow. Though it has to be our Digimon cause otherwise, we'd just be tapping on some glass." Suzie then raised a hand and asked "So, we could just simply go through the internet whenever we want? Just to go anywhere?" Simon nodded and responded "Anywhere we might know of that has an access point. Otherwise, then we'd just be wandering around random tubes, just looking for a place that could be where we'd meet for a potential battle in a foreign country." Lopmon then raised her hand and said "Well... I think that, this would be very good for us when it comes to transportation. But, are there any cons to it at all?" Simon sighed and responded "Like I said earlier, we'd need an access point to exit. Which would require that we exit from either a friend's computer or some complete stranger's computer at a local Starbucks. So... Unless you know a lot of people who don't mind you coming out of their computer screens... This is only a method for bringing in reinforcements. Not for overall travel."

The others then felt like they were educated by Simon's explanation. "So, as long as one of us in another country with a stable connection... We can just come and go whenever we please?" Ken asked Simon who responded "Yes... And I'm assuming that's how our pest of a friend keeps on coming here." Taiki and Kiriha were a bit surprised by this. "So wait. You're saying that Emir could just come here whenever he damn well pleases?" Kiriha asked to which Simon responds "Well... Yes. Though, I'm not gonna ask him to do anymore solids since he's got his own problems. And we can handle things here." Taiki felt very skeptical about Simon's declaration and says "Well, didn't you used to say that the more hands on deck the better? Or some other phrase that means the same thing?" Henry puts a hand on Taiki's shoulder and says "It's more of a matter of strengthening himself as well as us. Cause back then Simon wanted to handle a lot of things himself, at least until he had decided to have us help out." Taiki then looks back at Simon and remembers how similar the two are. "Now then, are there any more questions... Or can I actually talk about something me and Henry are going to do for a couple days?" Simon asked the others who seemed to shake their heads in response.

"Okay, well me and Henry along with our Digimon are going to Okinawa and we'll be back just in time for a very special day." Simon then said so matter of factly. Takeru and Ken weren't really that jealous since, they were already in America for a week... So their leader and Henry going to Okinawa wasn't really anything new. Although, Suzie raised her hand and asked "Simon... What's this special day that's going on this week?" Henry felt a little sheepish, since he and Simon both knew the answer. But Simon out of respect for his closest human friend responds "It's something we'll need to discuss over Skype. So until then, happy travels!" Everybody but Henry and Terriermon ended up leaving Simon's apartment. "So, you ready for the beaches?" Simon asked Henry who responded "Well... Dad wanted me to get some good pictures of the ruins underwater. So for now, I'm not gonna be able to join you and your friend there. But then again... I could always end up finishing early..." Simon sighed and said "Don't worry about it buddy! Just take as much time as you need to soak in the atmosphere. And besides, since digimon don't need to breathe oxygen, Terriermon could easily join you." Henry laughed a little at that prospect. "And just why is going to be just us and not Rika?" Terriermon asked and Henry answered "We need some time to prepare for that surprise party we wanted to do."

For the remainder of that day, Henry and Simon discussed what they were going to while in Okinawa and Simon gave Henry the address of the house he was going to be staying at for the two-three day vacation. When Henry got home, he noticed that his mother, Mayumi seemed to be looking at something on her computer. Which appeared to be a strange looking dog that jumped around. Henry didn't want to bother her, since she seemed to love it very much... And it was a gift from Janyu. Henry then looked through the stuff he had packed in his suitcase to bring, and Terriermon felt lucky that... He didn't have to de-evolve like Guilmon just to fit onto the plane. Although, Henry and Suzie were heavily skeptical about the V-Pet, due to their Digimon feeling something was off... They decided to ignore it and focus more on that trip Henry was going to take. Though on Simon's end, things were a lot simpler. Mostly due to the fact that, he's been there quite a few summers and remembered where exactly to go in order to find the friend he's supposed to meet.

"So Simon... What's this Kai person like?" Guilmon asked Simon who responded "Well... He's the son of one of my dad's friends... Whom he saved from an accident a few years ago. And this was back before you thought of De-evolving to make things easier for me to take you places. So, you didn't really get to meet him. And as a favor, he's allowed us to come visit him once every year... But this time around I'll be going by myself... Since we kind of blew part of the load on Davis and the others visiting America." Guilmon felt a bit more educated on the whole scenario and then asked "Do you think he'll like me?" Simon giggled a bit and responded "Dude, he'll really like you! It's just your appearance that he might have to get used to. And since one of his hobbies includes fishing, I think you'll love swimming around and catching things!" Guilmon's eyes beamed at that prospect and got really excited for the trip. However, as the day went by... Simon and Guilmon inevitably went back to their nightly routine. During the night Simon seemed to notice a strange man wearing a tattered up cloak. Guilmon seemed to growl at his mere prescience. Simon looked at the suspect with his goggles and decided to give chase. Once the suspect assumed there weren't anymore police chasing him... He relaxed in an alleyway. "Good, now that that's out of the way... I can finally continue my plan to seize control of the world!" The suspect said in a not so subtle tone.

Simon stood right in front of him and said "Hey there buddy, how's it going?" The suspect rose and glared at the Shadow Tamer. "You!" He said before Simon appeared to have a script in his hand and said "Me!" Before throwing it into a trash can. "What exactly were you doing in that store good sir? You're hiding your face, and trying to hide from the law... So what's the deal?" Simon asked the suspect who's eyes then glowed in front of him. "Even if you are a public hero, and famed Digimon killer... I'll take your life here and now!" The suspect then said before taking up a fighting stance nearby Simon. The Shadow Tamer sighed before landing an uppercut to his chin. "Yeah, I'm afraid speech time is over... And now, after declaring that you'll kill me... I've got no choice but to make you taste some fists of justice!" Simon said before taking up a different type of fighting stance. When he went to step on the suspect's chest... He suddenly phased through him and ran for his life. "Guilmon! Corner him!" Simon said communicating to his partner who was still on the rooftops.

Suddenly, they came across an electronic store with a large amount of television screens and computer moniters. Simon and Guilmon traversed through the store in a search for him. Unfortunately, the suspect removed his cloak and entered the computer moniter big enough for him. Simon noticed the tattered coat and saw that, the computer moniter was recently used. "Great! Now we gotta go in and chase him!" Simon said in frustration. Guilmon shook his head and responded "He'll be trapped in there until the other moniters are on, and Jesmon is there in case something goes wrong..." Simon pondered the thought and went out of the store through the door that he entered. He then saw a group of policemen lead by Erwin. The commissioner approached Simon and asked "What happened?" Simon sighed and responded "Well... The guy turned out to be a Digimon on the run, so he escaped into the internet." Erwin pondered that possibility until he remembered that Nia and Impmon demonstrated this to him when they returned from America. "Well then, I guess that for now... We wait until we see what happens next. Until then, good hunting." Erwin said to Simon who then walked away from the police officers.

Inside the internet... Hackmon sensed a powerful foe enter. And he warp evolved into Jesmon to investigate such a thing. He looked around for a while, until he saw a figure of a demon before him... "Mephistomon..." Jesmon said to the demon Digimon who then felt a bit of fear wash over him.

 **つづく**


	26. The Battle of Adventurers

The following is a non-profit Fanfiction. Digimon is owned by Toei Animation, Bandai, Akiyoshi Hongo and licensed by Saban Brands. Please support the official release, by buying the DVDs...

Digimon Tamers Crimson: OVA 3: The Battle of Adventurers...

Inside the network community, Jesmon seemed to be chasing down someone. Though that someone had suddenly decided to hide on Jesmon, though he was a relatively familiar figure that was seen much earlier. He had come into another dark corner in the internet. Where he seemed to look around the network. "Mephistomon! I know you're around here! Show yourself!" Jesmon said trying to coax Mephistomon to show himself. "I've yet to do anything! Why would you hunt me down!?" Mephistomon responded to Jesmon before trying to sneak up on the Royal Knight. "You contain a power that could destroy everyone! A power that nearly destroyed the Digital World long ago! And I wish to see an end to that power here and now!" Mephistomon then appeared before Jesmon, and tried to strike him down while the iron was hot. Unfortunately, Jesmon had seen that coming. And had used his dragon spirit to try and restrain the demon Digimon. However, Mephistomon was able to break the spirit's grasp and head into one of the tubes leading towards an unknown destination. "No! He's gotten into the human world!" Jesmon said regarding the whole thing.

Although, he felt a bit helpless... Since Mephistomon was escaped into an area that shouldn't be open to Digimon without a connection to humans. "So, either he must have a partner... Or he has a human vessel to walk around the human world!" Jesmon said realizing what was the likely scenario that Mephistomon could use in order to escape into the human world. He then decided to ponder how he should go about warning the Digimon Tamers on the outside. "Perhaps I should wait until the connection is open. Then I'll find out where any of the Digimon Tamers have been." Jesmon said to himself before retreating to the town inside the network community. There, he looked through the possibilities of going to the human world himself. Unfortunately, he doesn't seem to know if there is going to be a computer nearby where Mephistomon went into. Mostly because, that's not a likely place for the internet to flow. "If I can find Gallantmon, or any of the other Digimon Tamers by tomorrow or any other day... That will be fine. Someone needs to destroy this creature, for he has the data of one of the most dreaded Digimon of all time... Apocalymon..." Jesmon said to himself before continuing his meditation... And thus, it seemed that most of the Digimon would end up restless because of what had just taken place...

* * *

Meanwhile, in the human world...

Simon had Guilmon de-evolve into Gigimon, just so he'd fit into Simon's carry on bag. Though at least he was able to put in a good word to Yamaki to let his Shadow Tamer equipment go onto the cargo. Which also meant his sword. "Now Simon, Kai is gonna be waiting for you at the airport so you know where to look alright?" Kittan asked Simon who nodded and responded "Yeah, of course I know what Kai looks like and where to go. Got it locked up in the vault." Meanwhile, Henry was given a water-proof camera so he can take pictures on it and show Janyu. "If only my cell phone was water-proof. Then I could easily send it to you." Henry said to Janyu who responded "Well, don't worry we could get them processed and probably framed." Terriermon then asked "Anything for me pops?" Janyu laughed a bit at Terriermon before saying "Well, you've got his support no matter what... So there you go. Just make sure your big brother gets home okay?" Terriermon then responds "Momentai Daddy!" Janyu then pats Terriermon on the head and says goodbye to his sons. "You guys really do feel like family at this point." Simon said to both Tamer and Digimon. "Well, obviously. It's just that he's just starting to come to terms with Terriermon being a son to him." Henry responded to Simon before they got their plane tickets.

After going through security, they boarded the plane headed to Okinawa. "Well Henry, at least once we get there... Nothing but relaxation and fun..." Simon said to Henry who responded "But what about your little favor to Yamaki?" Simon answered "That's in case the fun is trampled by some nimrod." Henry then understood what Simon meant almost immediately. Back on the ground Rika felt a little depressed that Henry's going to be gone for three days, so she decides that maybe she and Renamon could go out for a bit. "C'mon Renamon, let's go on some patrol." Rika said to Renamon who appeared right next to her Tamer. "Rika, whatever it is you're up to... I'll gladly take part in it." Renamon responded to Rika who then had her walke by her side through the street. Surprisingly, nobody really cared that there was a Japanese teenager walking around with a Renamon. But then again, they would know her from the news and that interview a month ago. Though Rika was then joined by Nia and Impmon, who were slightly depressed because there's no police work to be done and Simon's not around. "Girl's night out?" Rika asked Nia who responded "Girl's night out." And they proceeded to go on to do whatever was on their minds...

Back on the plane, Simon was showing Henry a picture of what Kai looked like... Since he wanted to let his friend know what he looked like. "The tan kid with the short brown spiky hair, that's Kai. Though we didn't really do a lot together, he thinks of me as a good friend." Simon said to Henry who responded "Well, hopefully I'll get to meet him." Simon nodded and then they just relaxed as the plane came into the airport. Simon and Henry had to get down to baggage claim, which was of course the worst part of the whole trip. Simon and Henry were able to find their suitcases... But not Simon's Shadow Tamer gear. "Hopefully it didn't jam on the way down..." Simon said worried about the equipment's weight. That was until he spotted someone trying to lift the case. "Jesus! What's in this thing? A truck?" The man trying to move the case said in frustration. At least until Simon approached it and lifted it just fine. "Thank you sir for finding my case..." Simon said to the man before leaving with his stuff. Gigimon popped out of Simon's carry-on and asked "So... Where's Henry and Terriermon going?" Simon looked at his partner and responded "They're headed to the ruins so that they could get some pictures. So, they're gonna be staying at a place that Janyu picked out for them. Luckily they'll still visit."

Gigimon felt a bit disappointed by that. Suddenly, the TV came on and there seemed to be a man dressed in a red polo shirt, cargo shorts and what appeared to be black dress shoes. Though Henry was long gone, Simon was morbidly curious about the product that the man was talking about. "Excuse me? Have you seen someone by the name of Simon Ackerman? He's about his height, but very well built?" A boy with tan skin, brown spiked hair with a ponytail on the end along with a green short sleeved open shirt, that seemed to expose the boy's torso and white shorts with sandals... Was parading around a sign that read Simon's name in Japanese. "Great, I gotta bail him out already?" Simon asked himself before running towards where he knew the boy was. "Excuse me security? He's just been looking for me that's all." Simon said to the security guards about to catch the boy. "Inexcusable! The boy just came in and interrupted an interview with Ryuji Tamashiro! The man who created the V-Pet!" The security guard said to Simon who responded "Never heard of him till recently." The boy then walked up to Simon and said "Thanks bro! You really saved my life back there!" Simon responded "No problem Kai. Just next time... Don't do things like that!" However, the man by the name of Ryuji came up and said "Hey now! No need for hostility! These kids could be helpful in this little interview!" Before grabbing Simon and Kai...

* * *

Back in Shinjuku...

Kittan and Leeron were spending some time with Dayaka and Leyte. "So, you guys remember back when I told you Digimon were real?" Kittan asked the group who then nodded and Leyte then responded "And remember back when there were only six people who could comprehend these?" Everybody then muttered some words that sound like they agreed. "It was a simpler time, before that time when you and the others helped our little group grow into a much stronger one during the war period..." Leeron said regarding how things were as well. "What made you bring this up Kittan?" Dayaka asked Kittan who then answered "It's mostly because, these days it just feels like Digimon is common knowledge to the general public. Maybe these days, Digimon are becoming a bit more than just tools to send in when we're losing. Now, they're becoming something to either fear... Or be treated like heroes. And I can only hope it's the latter." Leyte then turns on the tv to see if anything's on just to distract them from their previous conversation. "I feel like your son has no problem looking good for the public..." Leyte says to Kittan who responds "No... Don't tell me..."

Before going to see that his son was on TV getting interviewed by a group of journalists next to Ryuji Tamashiro, the recent creator of the new V-Pet fad. "Seriously Simon!? You gotta promote the crappy nintendogs rip-off!? There are just some things that feel too convienient for executives..." Kittan yells at the screen before going back to staring out the window. Dayaka looks at the product being advertised on TV. "So, what is this V-Pet actually?" Dayaka asks Kittan who was about to respond until Leeron said "A V-Pet is a virtual pet that can live within your computer, cell phone or even on some video game consoles should you pay enough money for it. It can enhance your internet experience and it lets you know when you have a recent update, email or anything else of that matter. You just gotta feed it often. That's all." Dayaka feels that it seems so simple and innocent... Until he looked at Kittan who seemed very uneasy about the whole V-Pet thing. Kittan then said "I don't know... Something about that seems off... Nothing like that comes at such a simple price. There's always a catch to a gimmick like that... Always..." At first the others were skeptical of Kittan, until Leyte smirked and responded "Don't worry about it, whatever the case... Simon's gonna find out about those V-Pets! I'm sure of it!" Kittan smiled and decided to have faith in his son...

* * *

Back in Okinawa...

Simon and Kai were aboard a boat headed for the town in Okinawa that Kai lives in. "So, you ready for some adventure Simon! We're gonna go fishing, practice some martial arts and all that other cool stuff!" Kai says enthusiastically, until he noticed Simon was getting a bit woozy. "You okay man?" Kai asked Simon who responded "I'm just not used to boats, that's all. I'll probably be over it when we hit the mainland." Kai then smirked and said "You mean when you, hit the mainland. I'm gonna go ahead of you since I know you know the way there, so see ya!" Simon felt a bit saddened that Kai decided to leave him on the boat, but he knew that Kai meant well. Kai then jumped off the boat and swam towards the shore. "Kai! You're not supposed to do that!" The boat driver said to Kai who was too far away to hear him. Once Simon got off the boat, he still felt a bit light headed. Though that could've been a side effect. "Hey Gigimon... Could you evolve into Guilmon while I sleep?" Simon asked Gigimon who jumped out of his backpack and evovled straight into Guilmon. "But Simon... Aren't we almost there?" Guilmon asked his Tamer who then fell asleep.

Guilmon then decided to put Simon on top of the suitcase, while he carried the backpack and Shadow Tamer equipment. "You're lucky that I'm just as strong as you are in this state..." Guilmon said while pushing Simon on the suitcase. Kai had decided to run by and check on how Simon was doing with getting to his house. "Hey Simon! Where are you!?" Kai yelled before he noticed Simon on top of his suitcase sleeping. "Geez! He's such a drama queen! You go and pass out after something like that you big wus-" Kai said before noticing Guilmon pushing the case. Guilmon then asked Kai "Hey um... Kai... Can you help me with Simon here? I'm kind of sure that he and his suitcase don't weigh this much..." Kai felt a bit fearful of what Guilmon might do and said "Okay... Sure... Just... Please don't eat me!" They then continued pushing the case along with Simon. "So... You're one of those Digimon guys on the news?" Kai asked Guilmon who responded "Well, how else do you think I got this far in life?" Kai then said "Okay, stupid question. So... How long have you known my buddy Simon here?" Guilmon then responded "Five years..." Kai felt surprised that there was someone who actually knew Simon a bit better than he did. Though to be fair to him, Simon only came down during a brief vacation time with his father...

In a beach house, Simon woke up to a sunset nearby with an elderly man dressed similarly to Kai, though with a lot less hair. "Excuse me sir, where am I? And what have you done with my shoes?" Simon asked the elderly man who responded "Well, Kai and that dog of yours decided it'd be best if they removed them... And they're right over there in case you wanted to know." Simon felt a bit of relief wash over him... Until he realized that his new arm was exposed to him. "Um... Does Kai know about the new arm?" Simon asked the elderly man who then answered "The moment he saw it, he got so excited about how "Cool" it was and wanted to wait for you to awaken." Kai then returned to the beach house and said "Hey grandpa! I'm back!" Kai said returning with what appeared to be an empty spear. Though in actuality the prize was inside a box he brought home with him. "Ah, thanks Kai. I appreciate what you do for me." Kai's Grandfather said to him before retreating with the box. "So I take it you know about Guilmon right?" Simon asked Kai who responded "Well of course! He's probably one of the most awesome Digimon ever! And by the way, what was in that metal case of yours?" Simon sighed and said "It's better if you don't know. And if you'll excuse me... I wanna enjoy the sunset with Guilmon."

Guilmon heard his name and sat down with his Tamer. "Well Guilmon, we got two more days of this... And then it's back to the big city..." Simon said to Guilmon who responded "And I hope that I get to go fishing soon..." Simon kept on staring and then asked Kai "Why did your grandfather call Guilmon a dog?" Kai then answered "Well... There's a bit of a belief on this island that dogs are guardian spirits that will guide and protect you... Hence why he called Guilmon a dog." Simon sighed and said "That'd be plausible for Terriermon but not Guilmon. He's the last thing to be compared to a dog. Though I will say this, it is kind of interesting this time... Since my dad couldn't really come and now I gotta do things myself. But at least I know I'm not alone in that regard..." Kai smiled and the three shared some laughs. Though when night rolled around, there appeared to be something awfully suspicious going on... Though luckily for Simon, this wasn't the kind of place where crimes would often be committed. So at the very least he had a nice couple of days off from his usual business. And he would often think about Nia and the others at night, wondering if they're doing okay. But then, he also thought that, since they're all still capable fighters... They'll be fine.

* * *

Back in Shinjuku...

Nia had decided to spend some time out on patrol with Rika... Just to take on the criminals that Simon has to face every day, and any wild Digimon that may end up getting through the barrier that Yamaki and the rest of Hypnos have kept on repairing... But they ended up with little progress, due to attacks from various Mega Level Digimon that have appeared in the past. Though considering that Nia can become Beelzemon with Impmon and Rika could become Sakuyamon with Renamon, there doesn't seem to be a need for concern. Though Hikari wanted to join them on their girl's night out, She had made plans with Daisuke and... She had decided to wait until another time. And Suzie, seemed a bit too busy playing with Lopmon to really need a Girl's night out. When a couple of criminals who had stolen a load of money from a bank, they had decided to drive off immediately. "Ha! Those idiots! They just practically gave us the money when we came in!" The driver said. The one in the passenger seat responded "I know right!? It's like this town is practically defenseless when the Shadow Tamer is nowhere to be seen!"

Although as they were laughing, both failed to notice the demon lord on a motorcycle. "I'm in pursuit, wait for my signal to destroy the tires..." Beelzemon said communicating to Rika on the other side. "Understood, we're in position. Over." Rika responded before turning to Renamon. She had decided to wear a headset while communicating with Nia and Impmon, since they decided to do this together. Renamon had to look over the city, just to see if there were any idiots driving like maniacs. The man in the passenger seat looked behind him to see Beelzemon on behemoth and said "Hey buddy! There's some nimrod driving behind us!" The driver sighed and responded "Don't worry! It's not like it's a cop car or anything!" Beelzemon then pulled out a police siren on top of Behemoth's windshield and activated it. "Oh shit! It's the demon officer!" The driver said in a panic. The man in the passenger seat then said "Step on it! We'll lose him eventually!" They then drove at high speeds. Beforehand, Nia told her father that... They were on patrol and should anything happen, she'll let him know. "This is intern Beelzemon. I've found some bank robbers and I'm in pursuit over." Beelzemon said to a police radio to alert the station. Suddenly, the man in the passenger seat pulled out a pistol and tried shooting Behemoth.

Luckily for Beelzemon, Behemoth can easily take all that punishment without getting a single scratch. "If that's all you've got, then you're just a bunch of amateurs!" Beelzemon said taunting them before increasing his speed. He was practically nearby the tailpipe... But just enough distance for it to not be tailgating. "As long as he's just an intern, he can't open fire on us." The driver said trying to tone down the situation. Beelzemon then pulled out his silver gun and fired skyward. Renamon saw that, and figured that was the signal. She then jumped down and crossed her arms. "Fox Leaf Arrowhead!" Renamon said firing arrowheads at the tires which then flattened almost immediately. "Hey! What the hell just happened!" The driver asked the man in the passenger seat who passed out at this point. Beelzemon then knocked on the window and said "You've just been pulled over. Now get out of the car." Before both criminals decided to give up. A little while later, both Rika and Nia were seen with Erwin who said "You did some good work today girls. And we appreciate the help."

Rika then just took a sip of her coffee and Nia responded "Your welcome. And, I'm sorry that I went against your orders and whatnot." Erwin then said "Nia, don't worry. Once you're sixteen, I'll have you apply for your license... Which I'm sure you have studied for right?" Nia sighed and responded "Don't worry dad, I've been managing my studying schedule and since Impmon's more a registered driver, he was able to quiz me on this." Impmon seemed to twiddle his fingers and said "Yeah, I've made sure to study this before deciding to take the motorcycle in this world. And besides, I'm sure she'll do fine on the test. And hopefully Simon's gonna find some time to get his own license or something." Erwin then patted Impmon on the head and said "Hey now! No need to rush him! Besides, I'm sure that he can take the test at any given time... Since he himself worked just as hard on this. Though, I can't help but wonder what girl's nights out have been like for today's youth. For most girls... It's just talking on their cell phones. For you two, it's basically just helping us out. But then again, I suppose a trip to a closed shopping mall wouldn't suffice now would it?" Nia and Rika both sighed at Erwin who then said "Should've seen that coming..." Meanwhile, a girl with two pigtails, white long sleeved shirt with a purple shirt and skirt along with white sneakers was watching intently. It was as though she were intrigued by their abilities or something.

Nia and Rika had decided to part ways for the night, since they needed some rest. When Nia headed back home, she did some stretches before getting ready for bed. Impmon looked at Nia in her nightgown and asked "Is it okay if I sleep with you tonight?" Nia nodded and responded "You know I never once judged you right?" Impmon nodded and let himself be embraced by his Tamer. After those night terrors that he had, he ended up getting used to cuddling up with Nia during the night... So much so, that it became a habit of his... And he would only let her do this to him. Anyone else, would recieve a glare that he's been working on since he met Erwin. Rika meanwhile, had gotten ready for bed and layed in the futon, with Renamon keeping watch over her. "I'll let you know if I suddenly sense something. Just sleep tight Rika. You've earned it tonight. While everyone was resting in their beds, futons or whatever they happen to sleep in... Jesmon had finally finished his meditation and had found a way into the real world with the help of a friend of his. Since this Digimon didn't need an access point, Jesmon was able to get to the human world. There, he had decided to seek out any Digimon Tamer that was available. Though his journey ended up leading him to Nia's house.

"So... This is where Beelzemon lives... Curious... He's never been known to just settle down in places like these... But then again, he has changed for the better ever since his reincarnation." Hackmon said when moving around the house. He decided to sleep on the couch for now, since it was getting late and something was compelling him to go to sleep. Although, he would've gone unnoticed... Had Erwin not arrived home and saw him briefly. "The moment my daughter wakes up and is dressed... Is the moment when we have a talk." Erwin said to himself before heading upstairs to prepare for bed. It would seem as though the night was safe. Though Mephistomon still haunted Hackmon's thoughts... he had decided not to think about them during his rest period, and wait before speaking to Nia and Impmon. Though, he was oblivious to the fact that she was the daughter of the legendary Warrior of electricity. But then again, he'll find out later in the morning. Somewhere in Shinjuku, there seemed to be a computer on with a V-Pet roaming around the screen. Though unlike the other V-Pets, this one seemed to be sporting a very creepy smile. One that suggested that there is a bigger scheme going on in this world. And there is the possibility of Yggdrasil's involvement...

* * *

Back in Okinawa...

Simon and Kai were doing a lot of things together, like practicing martial arts with Kai's grandfather... Who was a bit surprised that Guilmon knew some Martial arts as well. Though Guilmon slipped when it came to trying to extend his leg higher than he normally would. Later on, Simon and Kai decided to do some fishing underwater. Luckily he packed a swimsuit in all of his luggage and he dived in after Kai and Guilmon. Guilmon was swimming underwater like it was second nature to him... Even though he is normally a creature on land, he seemed to have amazing mobility underwater. Kai had brought a harpoon with him, just so he can catch anything. He had caught a squid in it, and after a while, the two decided to head back to the house. "That was cool! Your Digimon swam through the ocean and got all those guys!" Kai said carrying a bucket filled with some of the fish that Guilmon caught. Simon didn't really seem all that interested in catching any fish in the ocean. "I've never actually seen Guilmon swim around the ocean before... Though, I had assumed based on the little gills that he might like the ocean." Simon responded to Kai who then looked closely at Guilmon's face... And determined that the markings were in fact gills.

"That's even cooler! So he can breathe underwater and walk around with us?!" Kai said excitedly to which Simon merely responded with a nod. Suddenly though, Simon had noticed something in the distance. There seemed to be a girl on a plank just floating in the middle of the ocean. "Kai... How did we miss that on the way back here?" Simon asked Kai who looked over and saw the same girl. "I'll go get the boat! You guys wait here in case something comes our way!" Kai responded before going to do as he said he would. Simon then noticed what appeared to be a shark headed for this girl. "Guilmon, go help him." Simon said to Guilmon who then asked "Why just me?" Simon sighed and answered "Do you see me swinging around a sword underwater on a regular basis?" Guilmon then ran into the water and swam as fast as he could towards the shark. Using his momentum, Guilmon headbutted the shark away from the girl... But then found out it was a mechanical shark. He then fired multiple pyro spheres at the shark which in it's daze ended up taking all the hits. "Alright, I gotcha. Now to get to the mainland." Kai said to the unconscious girl before bringing her over to the main island. "Is she okay?" Simon asked Kai who responded "I don't really know all that much about CPR, so I can't tell..."

Simon then put his head over the girl's chest to make sure there was a heartbeat. Luckily for him, she had a heartbeat... It's just that she's passed out. They then laid her out on a futon, while Simon looked through the bag she had carried with her. And it turned out to contain a waterproof computer. "I wonder if Jesmon could help us if we open a connection to the internet from here..." Simon said to himself before he decided to wait until the girl was awake. "I hope that she's okay..." Kai said to himself worrying about the girl before them... Simon placed a hand on his shoulder and said "Don't worry about it. Besides, she'll wake up soon... Just give it time. I've been taught to have faith in my friends... Otherwise, they'd never become the people I'd fight with to this day." Kai felt somewhat reassured by Simon's words and decided to bring the bucket of fish to his Grandfather. Though Simon himself, might have been skeptical about her awakening... He knew that there's a possibility that she'll wake up easily.

Henry meanwhile, seemed to be getting a lot of photographs of the ruins underwater. Though these ruins were made from fallen meteorites, and they seemed to house many sea creatures. Though with him, these seemed to be some of the most fascinating things he'd ever see. Terriermon didn't seem all that interested in swimming... Since he wanted to do that with Guilmon and whatnot. Henry had finally come up to the surface to greet his adoptive little brother. "It's about time! I was getting worried that you'd become a fish down there or something!" Terriermon said to Henry who removed the goggles and the oxygen tank he was given. "Momentai Terriermon! You gotta understand that, all that down there was amazing! The ecosystem, the environment... Everything!" Henry responded to Terriermon who then asked "Did you get all the pictures you needed?" Henry nodded and said "I guess all we can do now is pay Simon a visit. So at least you'll get what you wanted Terriermon." Terriermon got giddy and jumped onto Henry's shoulders. "Yeah! It's about time Henry!" Terriermon exclaimed before Henry went over to the locker room in order to get changed into his beach attire. Terriermon meanwhile, was waiting outside and getting all skidish just thinking about going to visit Simon on the beach. When Henry came out, he had decided to go and get them a ride towards the island where he knew that Kai lived... Based on the information provided to him by Simon.

* * *

Back with Nia and Rika...

Rika and Nia had spotted a Digimon that seemed to be in pain, wandering about Shinjuku... And decided to give chase to said Digimon. Though he seemed very worn out, he kept on throwing attacks at them... Just for the sole purpose of slowing them down. Nia had Impmon turn into Reapmon, mostly because she felt that Beelzemon, would be too overwhelming for something that could just be a champion level. Rika meanwhile, had merged with Renamon and became Sakuyamon... Who had put up a barrier around the area, just so the Digimon wouldn't run away. When Reapmon did catch up to him... He tried to reach for something to distract them, only for Nia to shoot near his hand. "That was a warning shot, next time... I aim for your hand." The Digimon then said "But ma'am... I'm not here to hurt anybody! I'm just here because I needed to help a friend of mine. Only now I can't find him..." Reapmon and Nia both looked at each other, seeing if either one believes his story.

"Continue..." Nia said to the Digimon who responded "Oh thank you! As I was saying, after I helped him get through the internet barrier... My friend ended up getting separated from me. And I ended up getting severely weaker, as time progresses. And I had ran away from you out of worry, for what you may do to me." Reapmon had approached the Digimon in question and said "Though I used to be one of pure evil, I mean you no harm friend..." As the Digimon was about to take Reapmon's hand... He was suddenly struck down by a mysterious hand, that went through his abdomen. "But... Why...?" The Digimon said before it ended up being revealed as a blue dragon, in a cloak that concealed it's size. "I have no patience for those who think they can run and hide CoreDramon. Your abilities to break through the Internet's rule of connection, and an active computer... Have made you a target of mine. So wallow in despair as you slowly die..." The figure inside the portal said before retreating back into the portal. CoreDramon had fallen nearby Nia and Reapmon, though it would seem that Jesmon wasn't too far away. "CoreDramon!" Jesmon yelled before landing next to his friend. "Jesmon... Thank goodness you're here." CoreDramon said to Jesmon who was examining his wound. Jesmon looked over at Nia and Reapmon and asked "Beelzemon... Did you do this?" Reapmon and Nia both shook their heads. Sakuyamon on the other hand, seemed to have released the barrier to investigate what had happened. Though when she arrived, it was at the site of another innocent Digimon dying. "Jesmon... Mephistomon had done this to me. Take my power, it's the only way to find him without the need of an access point. And make good use of my data..." CoreDramon said to Jesmon...

Jesmon looked down at his friend and decided to take the power... But make it so that CoreDramon has an egg to revert to. "Good, now he's safe." Jesmon said looking at CoreDramon's egg. "I had given him that cloak, since he did not have the ability to de-evolve like most of you Digimon have. So for now, I'd say that Mephistomon will be as good as dead as soon as we find him." Jesmon continued to say before opening the portal, that Mephistomon had carelessly left behind. "Come, I'll explain everything on the way Tamers... You needn't worry about explanation." Jesmon said cueing the others to follow him. Nia had Impmon Spiral Matrix Evolve with her to become Beelzemon, and they followed him into the portal. "Alright Jesmon, please explain to us this... Mephistomon character..." Sakuyamon asked Jesmon who responded "Of course... Mephistomon was a remnant of probably one of the most dangerous Digimon in the old history... Apocalymon. And he among many other Digimon nearly caused the ruin of both worlds... At least, until a team of humans and Digimon banded together to destroy them almost completely. However, nowadays... It seems that Mephistomon had been living in your world for a long time... Waiting for the right opportunity to strike. And I fear that this time... He might actually cause the end of the world..."

Beelzemon and Sakuyamon both seemed very shocked about this news. "I may have been in service to Lucemon, but even this is news to me. Though he and Daemon did mention Milleniummon a few times. And that was to find the leftover data and take it." Beelzemon said to Jesmon who sighed and responded "Milleniummon was destroyed with a very small remnant that has been carefully watched over in a special chamber by BanchoLeomon. Though, because of their destruction, our ancestors thought it'd be best... If both worlds were separated from one another. The only reason humans don't know about this, was because it was wiped clean from their memories... With the exception of the house of Ylisse..." They kept on going through the tubes that connected the communities, though Jesmon seemed to be a bit weary about how much power he uses throughout this journey. After a while, he just decided to focus more on the journey... Rather than the destination. That didn't really go unnoticed by Beelzemon, or Sakuyamon since he seemed very hasty when it came to explaining some brief history...

* * *

Meanwhile, with Simon and Kai...

The girl had layed in the futon until sunset, which seemed to be slowly setting downwards. She woke up in a cold sweat, to see two people whom she's never met. "Welcome to the land of the living... Do you have any injuries?" Simon asked the girl who shook her head. "My dad... He told me to get out of there... Before he... Before he..." The girl was saying before she started to cry. Simon had put a hand on her shoulder and said "Don't worry. If your dad's okay, we'll find him. But first, what was on that computer you had in your bag?" The girl looked over at the computer Simon left on the table, and immediately opened it up and turned it on. "My dad gave me this dumb V-Pet after my dog died... So far, it's been nothing but bad news!" Simon seemed a bit shocked by this girl's sudden issues... But then she calmed down and said "But, it's not his fault. He knew that we had lost Mei a while ago... And wanted to cheer me up." Simon looked at the V-Pet, which seemed very similar to the ones he's been hearing about all over the internet, and from the news. "Did your dad create the V-Pets Miss... Um..." Simon asked the girl who then responded "Oh yes! My name is Minami! And yes, my dad did create the V-Pets. Although, that man on TV had to take credit for it and mass produce it."

Simon then shakes her hand and says "Simon Ackerman. And the pleasure's all mine little lady." Simon then notices that she's just staring at the V-Pet, not even saying or doing anything with it. "You know the Computer will just go to rest mode, if you don't do anything right?" Simon asked Minami who responded "Oh, sorry!" She then moved the mouse around a bit, before continuing her staring contest with the computer. "And just so you know, a neighbor had to come by and supply you with those clothes... Due to your other ones being soaked." Simon said regarding her change in attire, which seemed to just be a sleeveless shirt and shorts. Simon then recieved a slap to the face, upon her assumtion that he changed her while she was asleep. "YOU PERVERT! I thought you were a decent guy! But now I see you're just a dirty pervert! Like in those shonen anime!" Minami said before sitting back down and turning away from Simon in disgust. Simon checked his cheek and responded "First time for everything... But I didn't change you. The neighbor, who is a woman changed you and left immediately. Since they were soaked through, you would've freezed to death. So what would you have liked us to do? Let you die of frostbite?" Minami pondered that thought and just turned away from Simon. "I'm still mad at you..." Minami said while giving Simon some lip.

Simon sighed and said "Youth... It's about as adorable as you'd imagine..." Before turning to look at the sunset. Kai had come in and noticed the girl's staring contest with the V-Pet. "Hey, name's Kai. How's it going?" Kai asked Minami who merely responded "Minami, I'm a little busy right now." Kai scratched the back of his head, and just walked over to see Simon. "Dude, what'd you say to make her mad?" Kai asked Simon who answered "Well, I just told her that you called the neighbors who gave her some clothes, and she slapped me in the face." Kai was a bit surprised that this sweet looking girl, just came up and slapped Simon in the face. Though then again, the bluntness of his comment must've stirred this rage inside of her. When night had came, there seemed to be a machine out on the island... Which then looked at Simon and Kai. "I didn't know there was a crossover of Jaws and Terminator coming out..." Simon said to Kai who shook his head nervously as he headed back to the girl, who seemed very scared of the shark robot. The laptop suddenly exuded some electricity, and seemed to intimidate the robot. All of a sudden, a large four legged dog Digimon appeared before the group. "Forgive me... But I will not allow you to harm Minami!" The dog Digimon said before he attacked the machine, which ended up getting destroyed a bit too easily.

"Huh... So that girl had a Digimon hidden in her computer." Simon said to himself. Kai however, seemed very flabbergasted by the appearance of this Digimon. Simon decided to analyze the Digimon with his D-power... "Seasarmon, Vaccine type, Champion level. Attacks are: Seekantou and Tee Dia." Simon said quoting his Digivice. Suddenly, Minami screamed... But not because of the Digimon. But because, another robot appeared and taken her hostage. "I won't allow it!" Seasarmon said before charging at the machine which then flew away. Simon went to check on Guilmon and saw that both he and Kai's grandfather were unconscious. "So that's how he got in... Guilmon, you alright?" Simon asked Guilmon who got up and responded "I'm fine... But Kai's grandfather... He got hurt pretty bad..." Simon went to heal up the elderly man's wounds, and lay him in a futon. "At the very least he's still alive, and we now have our objective... Kick these machine's asses!" Simon said before approaching Kai and Seasarmon. He then saw that Henry was running towards the house. "Sorry guys! That boat took forever to get here, what happened!?" Henry asked the two. Simon sighed and responded "Let's talk on the boat ride there." They then got onto the boat with Seasarmon at the helm...

* * *

After Simon explained the situation to Henry, Terriermon looked over at Seasarmon and said "So... He has something to do with those sketchy V-Pets your mom likes so much?" Henry flicked Terriermon on the nose and responded "Don't just assume things like that! Besides, he's trying to help us with defeating that robot!" Terriermon sighed and said "Doesn't anyone know how to momentai around here?" Seasarmon looked diligently for the girl he had a connection to. "Minami... I won't rest until we find you..." Seasarmon said to himself as the boat kept on going to the unknown. It seemed that it was near midnight, and the group approached what appeared to be a large island. "So... This place was off the coast of Okinawa huh? Neat. Now Seasarmon... Let's investigate the area first, and then alert us if you've found Minami's scent." Simon said to the group and Seasarmon who responded "Fine... But try to keep up when I give the signal." He then lept off the boat and looked around. Guilmon, Henry and Terriermon all exited the boat... But Kai seemed very hesitant to do so. "You guys go on ahead, I'll stay here." Kai said to the group, feeling fearful of what lies ahead.

Simon and Henry looked at each other and said "No." At the same time, while dragging Kai off the boat and towards where Seasarmon was waiting. "But you don't understand! There's rumors that this island was infested with zombies!" Kai yelled trying to get out of Henry and Simon's grasp. "Sounds like something that Emir would handle. No matter, I brought my sword in case more showed up, and we have additional Digimon firepower. So please stop sounding like a scaredy cat." Simon responded to Kai who said "But, you don't understand! It's just like a horror film scenario! First curiosity strikes us, then we get killed one by one and then we-" Before being interrupted by Simon who said "Does this look like Zombie Island to you!?" Kai shook his head and Simon then said "Then there's nothing to worry about..." Kai sighed and just decided to walk with Henry and Simon. After a long time of walking, Seasarmon came across the scent of Minami. "It's coming from down here!" Seasarmon said before pointing directly at the area, where he found the scent. Simon noticed one of the burnt houses and thought that, if Minami was in the area... His goggles would be able to detect heat signatures... Or even hidden passages... Simon then moved a wooden panel out of the way, and found some stairs. "Guys, I found the secret entrance!" Simon said to the group before Seasarmon charged in. The others decided to give chase.

"Usually I'm the one leading... But now I know what it's like to follow..." Guilmon said to himself, lampshading how strange it is to be the follower to a scent, rather than the tracker. Once they reached the bottom, they came across a base underwater. "If I had known the stairs would go this far down... I would've just looked for an elevator..." Simon said to the others, who seemed to be a bit tired from running all that way. They had wandered around the base for a bit, admiring the view of sea life from the safety of the glass tubes. However, Seasarmon had finally found where Minami was. "Minami! You're not hurt are you!" Seasarmon asked, noticing Minami with her father. "No Mei, I'm fine!" Minami said, though her father, Takehito looked at the Digimon in shock and said "You're Mei... But that's impossible! Unless, you've come from the data of her computer." Simon approached the prison and said "You know, we're kind of in the dark about this whole thing... So you mind explaining why she went all this way, just to protect this big guy?" Takehito looked over at Simon and said "You're one of the Digimon Tamers on the news... Alright, I created this V-Pet, separately from the others as a counter measure for what the man in charge wishes to do with them... He has the power necessary to stop them from destroying several pieces of technology, by hacking themselves into it. But now, he had these machines kidnap us and-"

Suddenly he was interrupted by clapping. "I wasn't expecting you to be found so easily Takehito... But then again, a lot of things weren't going to plan... First, I find out that you conspiring against me. Then the Shadow Tamer has to show up and try to bring me to jail, and now you're all here in my personal headquarters!" Ryuji Tamashiro said while revealing himself into the light. "That's the guy who was selling the V-Pets!" Henry said and then Kai looked over at Simon and said "You're the Shadow Tamer!?" Simon face-palmed at Kai's revelation and responded "Yeah... Though I didn't want you to find out this way. Then again, he's given himself away as well. Haven't you Tamashiro?" Ryuji then said "Would you care to elaborate Simon Ackerman...?" Simon then opened his suitcase and brought out Falchion. "Gladly, when we met last night... I noticed that you were able to enter into a computer, despite looking very human. And yet, what you're doing is basically destroying the world in a similar manner to Diablomon's method. Though a tad bit more subtle... So I'm going to assume you're a very powerful Digimon in disguise..." Ryuji fell silent, until a dark aura appeared around him and he started cackling like a maniac.

"YES! YOU'RE EXACTLY RIGHT BOY! I AM A DIGIMON! I AM MEPHISTOMON! REMNANT OF APOCALYMON!" Ryuji said before transforming himself into Mephistomon. Henry then analyzed the Digimon in question. "Mephistomon, Virus Type, Ultimate Level. Attacks are: Black Sabbath and Death Cloud." Henry said quoting his Digivice before slashing a blue card for Terriermon. He then transformed into Rapidmon, and immediately fired missiles into Mephistomon. "Stubborn little brat!" Mephistomon said before charging at Rapidmon, who dodged almost flawlessly. Simon placed his sword onto his back and spiral matrix evolved with Guilmon, in order to become Gallantmon. "Seasarmon! Get Minami and her father out of there! We'll fend him off until then!" Gallantmon said before going to help Rapidmon. Seasarmon then approached the cage that held the two, and tore it apart. "Thank you Mei..." Takehito said, before two shark robots appeared in the arena and tried to attack the trio. Seasarmon had destroyed one of them, but the other had gone after Kai... Who was then saved by Henry. Henry then punched a hole straight into the machine, which caused it to malfunction. "Sorry, it's been a while since I did something like that." Henry said to Kai, who was a little more fearful of Henry.

Gallantmon and Rapidmon seemed to be having a hard time with Mephistomon... Who then decided to target Minami and her father... But luckily, Sakuyamon and Beelzemon came in with a kick that ended up pushing Mephistomon back into a wall. "Now that's what I call an entrance!" Beelzemon said before striking a pose with his guns. Sakuyamon looked back at the portal and waved to Jesmon. It seemed the five Digimon present were going to defeat Mephistomon... Who then seemed to exude more dark aura. "I see, so I have to use my full power to dispose of you children... Very well then, I shall do that for all of you!" He then seemed to power up so much, that the base itself looked like it was going to implode. "Idiot! If you do this now, anyone who isn't a Digimon is going to drown! Stop this now!" Gallantmon said to the beast, who's eyes then glowed and all of a sudden... They weren't in the base. But rather a city that's practically underwater. "Where... Are we?" Beelzemon asked, before what appeared to be a demon centaur with wings and devil horns appeared before the group. "I am Gulfmon... And this, is my territory. This is where you shall be destroyed, and once that happens... All of humanity will submit to me!" Gulfmon said to the group before roaring at them.

As he seemed to exude this dark power, around the world... Many machines seemed to be going haywire, because of the V-Pets. Planes were at risk and many people including Mayumi Wong panicked, because their computers were failing on them. Minami looked on in horror as Gulfmon just did as he pleased, and her father tried comforting her. Kai meanwhile, was scared out of his wits due to their current location. "There's only one way for Gulfmon's power to be stopped. And it looks like it's up to me." Seasarmon said to Minami and Takehito, before exuding a counter aura to Gulfmon's... "Mei! What are you doing! Are you leaving us!?" Minami said in a panic. Seasarmon looked at Minami with a tearful expression and said "Goodbye Minami... I'll always be with you..." Before he continued to exude this power. Gulfmon saw this and fired a beam of energy through Seasarmon. Gallantmon and co. looked on in shock and saw that Seasarmon had been struck down by Gulfmon. "How pathetic... He honestly thought that I'd let him ruin my plans... Hah! Now there's a fool right there. And to think, he's taken the appearance of a guardian deity... Which only proves that even a god can't stop me!" Gulfmon said before cackling once more.

Every one of the Tamers seemed to sport a very similar expression, one of anger towards their current opponent. Henry had decided to Spiral Matrix evolve with Terriermon to become MegaGargomon, and change into Emerald mode. "Adding one more to the party just because your friend died? Hah! I'll take all of the Digimon Tamers at once, and then... After that, I'll destroy Yggdrasil and rule over all mankind!" Gulfmon said bragging about his power once again, only to see that Seasarmon wasn't really dead... But rather worn out. Seasarmon was still exuding the rainbow aura that was countering his. "Stubborn fool! Just give up and die already!" Gulfmon said before firing another beam from his hand. Minami seemed to be trying to shield Seasarmon, but even the Digimon knew that she would perish along with him. Takehito, ran towards his daughter... Trying to save her... Only to appear too late to do anything. Once the smoke cleared, MegaGargomon's hand appeared to be shielding both Minami and Seasarmon. She looked up and saw that she was safe from harm. Even though MegaGargomon had prevented Seasarmon from dying to Gulfmon, The guardian Digimon faded away once he was finished. "It's now up to you... Fellow Digimon... Save her and the world..." Seasarmon said before parting from the world.

[ **Cue I'll Face Myself Reincarnation** ]

"How!? Just from stopping me, you've derailed my plans!?" Gulfmon said noticing his power slowly draining from his body. Beelzemon had put together his two guns into a large rifle, Sakuyamon charged up her magic power into her staff and Gallantmon changed into Crimson mode. "If there was one mistake you made today... It was that, you made a little girl cry. And that, is unforgivable!" Gallantmon said before having the others charge at Gulfmon. Beelzemon had fired at his legs, which seemed to damage it... And the Sakuyamon launched an energy slice at the legs, thus removing his ground mobility. "Hah! I'm still able to fly, so what good was that!?" Gulfmon said before MegaGargomon had punched him through a building. Gallantmon then came in, and chopped both his arms off with Blutgang and Falchion. "That was for the whole V-Pet take over!" Gallantmon said before raising his Falchion into the air, while the others fired separate attacks at Gulfmon. Gallantmon then charged in the center of all that and made a b-line for Gulfmon. "And this... IS FOR SEASARMON!" Gallantmon yelled before running Falchion through Gulfmon. All that seemed to remain of Gulfmon... Was just his head. "How... How is it that you have this much power...?" Gulfmon asked as he slowly disintegrated. "Simple... You underestimated us. And that is also something I don't tolerate..." Simon answered Gulfmon before he soon faded away.

[ **End I'll Face Myself Reincarnation** ]

Gallantmon had approached Minami, who had been grieving for her lost friend. "Mei..." She said in between sobbing. Kai had placed a hand on her shoulder, as though to try and give some reassurance. "Didn't he say he'd always be with you?" Kai asked Mei who at first thought to slap Kai... Only to realize that he's right. Takehito then added his hand onto her other shoulder and said "That's right, he'll be right there in your heart..." Minami then felt her own heart, and seemed to find a part of Mei there after all. Gallantmon noticed that the realm started to collapse on itself. "Well guys, we'll see you when we get back home..." Gallantmon said before the group flew up. Kai and the others woke up nearby the motorboat Kai had taken. "Of course he and his friends can fly." Kai said before having Minami and Takehito climb on board. Simon and the others were then waiting for Kai and co. to finally get back, and they saw them in the distance. Later in the afternoon, Minami and Takehito finally got a boat to take them back home and decided to say goodbye to the Tamers. "Listen, I want to personally thank you for rescuing us... And saving the world from those horrid V-Pets." Takehito said while bowing to Simon out of respect. Simon responded "It was nothing to be honest... It's kind of in the job description." Takehito laughed a bit and Minami then went up to Simon and said "Thank you for making me realize something." Simon seemed confused by what she meant, until she said "It's thanks to you and Kai, that I realized that even though Data might not replace the actual thing... That doesn't they're not a part of you... I'm going to keep Mei close to me from now on..." Simon and Kai both smiled at her, and then they all waved goodbye to her and her father as they headed towards the sunset. When they all returned home, Nia, Rika and their partners all headed through Kai's computer and made the trek back to their home. And so, in one more day... Simon and Henry will finally return to Shinjuku... Where things are still semi-normal...

 **つづく**


	27. Respect

The Following is a non-profit Fanfiction. Digimon is owned by Toei Animation, Bandai, Akiyoshi Hongo and licensed by Saban Brands. Please support the official release, by buying the DVDs...

Digimon Tamers Crimson: Knights of Grim Episode 24: Respect...

In Yggdrasil's tree, the being in the tree gained some of the data that, Mephistomon and his V-Pets gathered up thanks to the program he placed in said V-Pets. "Yes... At least that good for nothing mercenary did something right!" Yggdrasil said before putting the data into the Digimon they kept contained nearby. Grima looked over at the Digimon in question, and back at Yggdrasil. "I see that you're still busy with finding all this data... And to think this will still take us two years. How are things going with the "Chaos Route"..." Grima responded to Yggdrasil who smiled and said "It's going perfectly. Soon, one of my agents will locate the industrial sector's Locomon... And then, we'll finally be able to spread more chaos around. We make the humans weary around the creatures that would otherwise save them, and then... Destroy them once they become arrogant and assume they can win on their own..." Grima had raised a hand and said "Though we can spread chaos using Digimon, we are running out of pawns. And from what I gather, the public is slowly growing aware of our prescense. Therefore, your attempts at causing chaos... May fall on deaf ears. But yet, here we are... Planning something that will likely end up in predictable failure."

Yggdrasil then looked at Grima and sighed before responding "I know this might end in failure... But I need to see what will stir the public when you arrive my lord! If Digimon are the ones causing all the destruction, then we'll be able to keep using them in order to cause even more chaos around the world! Although, the point about our prescense being public knowledge will be a problem. But only a minor inconvience. If it were a major problem, you'd see me throwing a tantrum now would you my lord?" Grima thought about Yggdrasil's response and smirked. "Very well. Continue with this scheme of yours. At the very least, this will kill some time before I decide to make my grand debut. And I plan to make myself known to the public. Though mostly to cause fear and turmoil... Which Simon Ackerman and his friends cannot hope to calm. They will surely be tested for their reliablility and then, all hope will be smashed to pieces!" Grima said before looking over at Simon paying respects to a shrine of some sort in Okinawa...

* * *

With Simon and co...

Simon was busy paying respects to a dog statue, nearby Kai's home. "Seasarmon... If you're watching... Thank you for helping us at that time of need... I hope that you'll find salvation in whatever afterlife you believed in..." Simon said to the Guardian statue. Henry seemed a bit surprised that Simon, of all people would actually do some form of praying. "I guess there's something new every day..." Terriermon said before Henry flicked his ear. Simon and Henry then headed back to Kai's place, after paying respects to Seasarmon. Once there, they had decided to go on another fishing trip, to which Terriermon had decided against swimming... Due to him not being able to breathe underwater like Guilmon. After a while, it came to the afternoon... To which Simon and Henry had to leave Okinawa. They bidded Kai farewell and boarded the plane. "You think that the girls will remember this?" Henry asked Simon who responded "After the dynamic entry they both pulled off, who wouldn't!?" When they arrived back at the airport, Rika and Nia seemed to be the first two to greet them. "It's about time you two got back!" Rika said to the duo, before she helped Henry search for his luggage. Nia looked at Simon and said "I wonder if Henry's aware that Rika got bored without you two..." Simon looked over at the two and responded "I think it's pretty obvious."

After they gathered their luggage, both had headed back home and spent some time discussing their trip to their family members and friends... Though Simon seemed to want to spend time with Daisuke and the other goggleheads of the group. Since Taichi had gotten his new set of goggles, he truly felt like an actual Gogglehead again. Though when they decided to hang out, it seemed like they were once again waiting for something truly interesting to happen again. "Y'know... There are still times when I enjoy the status quo... And times that I don't." Simon said to start up the conversation. "What parts do you enjoy about it?" Taiki asked Simon who answered "Well, I do enjoy hanging out with my friends and family... And I actually get to spend more time with Nia. Reading is something we'd do when we're at her house, and often times... She does have some books I've come to enjoy. Though, there was the time when she asked me to read... The forbidden Vampire novel." Daisuke shuddered at that thought. "I remember when Kari asked me to read that... It was one of the deadliest things I've ever read. Of course, Jun had to be neutral about it... But, the absolute worst thing is that... There weren't even Vampires in it!" Daisuke said to add to the experience.

Taichi and Taiki were both confused. "Well, how can it be called the Forbidden Vampire Novel... When there aren't even Vampires?" Taiki asked the two. "Actually Sora told me about that book series... But she never cared for it... Since it didn't interest her in any way whatsoever." Taiki felt completely lost, due to the fact that... He's never heard of this series, and three of his friends have either heard of it... Or actually read it. "Luckily, that book series did make some fine marshmellows." Simon said to the group. Daisuke looked at Simon and responded "Lucky you... I wanted to burn it... But Kari had kept on insisting that I read it. I only read up to the first 90 pages..." Taichi seemed to feel bad for both his peers and said "Well, at least you might not ever have to see it again... Though I am gonna have some serious words with Kari on this." Taiki then asks "Could someone please tell me what's going on!?" Taichi sighs before deciding to take Taiki on a walk and says "The Forbidden Vampire Novel... Is actually called Twilight... It's forbidden... Because it's one of the worst things you could ever read or watch." Taiki raised his eyebrow and asked "Wait, watch? I thought it was just a novel series, but now it's something to watch!?"

Taichi sighed and said "No, it's not something you should watch. Don't you dare go see it, look at it, or even be in it's general direction! It's something that Davis and Simon had the unfortunate pleasure to go through, and it's not something I want you, or your "I can't turn my back on anyone" mentality to go through! Got it!?" Taiki nodded his head. "Good. Now let's try and forget this conversation ever happened..." Taichi said before bringing him back to Simon and Daisuke. Simon ended up looking through the newspapers, to see if there was a good movie to watch. "Oh, Now this is interesting... There doesn't really seem to be anything out right now... Not unlike last year... When the new Dragon Ball movie came out in theaters..." Simon said pointing that factoid out. Taichi seemed to seethe with jealousy. "You mean that there was a new Dragon Ball movie... And I didn't know about it!?" Taichi asked Simon and Daisuke who then both nodded to Taichi. The oldest Gogglehead then started sulking nearby a tree. "It's not fair... Just because I was in the Digital World for six years... Doesn't mean that I should miss out on one of my favorite shows..." Taichi said to himself before he started to weap... Taiki was busy trying to give him some reassurance. "Hey! If it makes you feel any better, I haven't seen it either."

Daisuke looked over at Simon and asked "Didn't you get Battle of Gods on DVD?" Simon thought about it and responded "Well, I did manage to find an uncut version of the American dub from Amazon. Nobody really asked me why, mostly due to me being American and having a preference to that dub." Daisuke then said "Well, at least Son Goku there is voiced by a man. But then again, the actress around here is iconic in quite a few ways..." Taichi then walks over to Simon and says "Did Davis just say what I thought you said!?" Simon nods and Taichi gives Simon a look... That to Simon filled him with uncertainty. "Taiki... Tell your mom that we're gonna be a little busy." Taichi said to Taiki who then asked "Okay, why?" Taichi then looked back at Simon and said "Because tonight... Is movie night." Taichi then starts dragging Simon down the road, with Simon giving a very confused expression on his face. "What did I say?" Simon asked himself with Daisuke shrugging and Taiki just following along with him towards the apartment complex.

* * *

Guilmon, V-Mon, Agumon and Shoutmon seemed to be spending time at the park. "So... What do you guys wanna do today?" Shoutmon asked the group, who then pondered different thoughts. "How about we duke it out, and see who's the strongest Digimon!" Agumon suggests, Though V-Mon and Guilmon were both confused, since neither of them were as competitive as Agumon. "Agumon... You should know by now that, we're not all as eager to fight as you are." Shoutmon said to Agumon who felt a bit disappointed, but accepted that. "You know, we could go around town. And see if there's anything we as Digimon could do." Guilmon suggested to the group. V-Mon then pondered the idea in his head. "Sho... We jusht go around the town, and shee what'sh up?" V-Mon asked Guilmon who nods at V-Mon's question. "Okay! I'm in..." V-Mon said to confirm his interest in Guilmon's idea. "Are you sure it's purely for tourist reasons... Or are you interested in where Renamon is right now?" Agumon asked Guilmon who seemed a bit lost for words... "Actually no... I haven't seen Renamon since before we left for Vacation. It's just that, she's been too busy preparing for that surprise party this weekend." Guilmon says to Agumon, to try and avoid any further details regarding Renamon. Unfortunately for Guilmon, Renamon happened to be nearby in the trees. "I have to wonder why you all assume this..." Renamon muttered to herself, knowing that if she did in fact say anything... That would confirm the other Digimon's suspicions. Unfortunately, Shoutmon seems to have heard some rustling in the trees.

"That's weird... Usually my headphones don't pick up small noises... Unless it just became really quiet." Shoutmon said out loud. The others were a tad bit curious, until Guilmon had picked up a familiar scent. But out of respect for Renamon, decided to just claim it was nothing. "I'm sure it was nothing. Now why don't we head into town and see what's new?" Guilmon said to the group before heading towards a computer store... That seemed to be closed. Renamon looked at the group, but more specifically at Guilmon. "You come here just as often?" A voice asked Renamon, to reveal herself as Gatomon. "That's okay, I came here to see how V-Mon's been." Gatomon then said to confess her reasoning. "How can you be so up front about this? I mean, you're just admitting to falling for a fellow Digimon!" Renamon says to Gatomon who responds "After spending a week with the little guy, slept on the same pillow as him, and realized whenever he seems naive about something... He actually understands, but doesn't care all that much. Nobody ever questions him being near me all that much, and yet they're giving you and Guilmon nonsense? C'mon!" Renamon looked a bit more closely at the group who entered the computer store and decided to head in after them.

She saw that they were already inside the internet... Though opening portals in computers that aren't active, is the oddity. They then entered the computer after the group of four. "So where do you think they ended up? Cause, this internet community is huge!" Gatomon said when they landed in the town. Renamon looked around and responded "How am I supposed to know where they go!? I may have known Guilmon for a couple years, but it's not like I know exactly where he'd go!?" Suddenly, Guilmon and the others have now seen Renamon and Gatomon. "Renamon? What are you doing here?" Guilmon asked Renamon who seemed a bit too shy to answer. Gatomon sighed before pushing Renamon towards Guilmon. "You two! Make up! Now!" Gatomon said to the two before grabbing V-Mon's hand... While being followed by Shoutmon and Agumon. "You're on your own buddy!" Shoutmon said to Guilmon before deciding to follow V-Mon and Gatomon. The two then stared at each other for a few minutes... Before Guilmon spoke up and said "Look Renamon... I get that, maybe you have some affection for me... But, I just don't understand why... Why me of all Digimon?" Renamon pondered the thought and answered "Because I feel like you and I are similar in a way. Despite me being mysterious and aloof, you're quite blunt and straight to the point. But I think it's the fact that, we're both warriors who have now found peace with our Tamers... That had led us to this point in time..."

Guilmon then brought Renamon over to a nearby edge, and looked at the whole thing. "I've done nothing but fighting my whole life. I was never really taught these things like, food or warmth, or even emotions outside of rage. And when I met my Tamer, I finally found that piece of me that had prompted my journey. If someone had told me beforehand, that I would find someone like me in the form of you... I would've just ignored it and left..." Guilmon said to Renamon who responded "I see. Then, I guess my warrior experience wasn't all that different... With the exception of being taught emotions. To be fair, I can see your point. Feelings for another, is confusing to you. And you're trying your hardest to deny it. I guess we are birds of a feather after all..." Guilmon turned to Renamon and just pressed his head against hers with some form of affection. "Renamon... Could we have more moments like this? I just want to understand you a bit better. Like Simon does with Nia... Only, I don't think kissing is possible." Guilmon said to Renamon who shook her head and responded "No, I guess the closest we'll get is just merely touching heads. Your hands can't grip much, with the exception of weapons. And mine are always covered by these gloves."

Guilmon and Renamon then saw that Hackmon was watching the exchange. "I see. So Digimon having affection for one another is possible..." Hackmon said to the two. "Hackmon... Why are you here?" Guilmon asked the small dragon to which Renamon then asked "So you know each other?" Hackmon then answered "That is correct Renamon. I have known Gallantmon for quite a while now, and as for his question... I merely wished to see what was going on, with your recent appearance." Renamon then remembered something. "Are you... That Royal Knight who helped us chase Mephistomon?" Renamon asked Hackmon who then Warp evolved to answer her question. "Yes... I am Jesmon, Sakuyamon... Former apprentice to Gankoomon, and one of the few Royal Knights who remain... Besides Gallantmon, Omnimon, and Imperialdramon... Along with his newfound ability of becoming like UlforceVeedramon." Renamon then asked "So how did you avoid Yggdrasil's power, just to gain control of yourself?" Jesmon then answered "The moment I became infected with Yggdrasil's power, I had realized that I needed a way to stop it. And I ended up killing myself to prevent others from feeling my wrath. After I reincarnated in Primary Village, I sought out the ability of Warp Evolution and now here I am..."

* * *

Gatomon and the others seemed to just be exploring the area, wanting to see if there was anything to do within the community. Though, Shoutmon and Agumon kept on acting like stalkers towards V-Mon and Gatomon, due to them being a thing. "Would you quit following us!? Just go and do your own thing!" Gatomon yelled to the other two. Shoutmon responded "Okay, but here's the better question: Where would we go?" Gatomon was about to argue against that logic... But found that she honestly could not. "Fine, you two can follow us... But only if you do your own thing away from us..." Gatomon said to the two who then sighed in relief. So far, Gatomon and V-Mon's day was a bit similar to Guilmon and Renamon's... Only they had already admitted their feelings to one another. Agumon didn't really seem to care about all the lovey-dovey stuff that went on... But Shoutmon couldn't help but be enthralled by it. Though that was mostly due to Taiki's mother, showing him a lot of romance films... That was purely for the sake of seeing if he is passionate towards something... Like being the Digimon king. "You know Agumon, there are other things than just fighting right?" Shoutmon asked Agumon who seemed to fall asleep to the whole thing. Shoutmon then tapped his microphone three times... Just so Agumon would wake up. "I'm awake! I'm awake!" Agumon said in a panic.

"Look Shoutmon, romance is not something I'm a pro at. So unless you and your recent investment in romance films have some interesting things happen, I would rather catch some Z's." Shoutmon sighed at Agumon's statement and responded "Well I guess you'll miss out on one of the greatest revenge stories known as the Princess Bride..." Agumon was suddenly intrigued by Shoutmon's words and asked "Wait! This Princess Bride... Is a revenge story?" Shoutmon nodded and then said "It's got just about anything you'd want. Action, romance, drama, comedy, interesting characters... And a princess who doesn't wait to get kidnapped." Agumon thought about what Shoutmon said about the movie and asked "When, and what time?" Shoutmon thought about it and said "Tonight. At six o'clock." Agumon then decided to take a mental note of that and, with his knowledge of the Kudos' address decided he would come over. "You had better not be lying to me Shoutmon..." Agumon said to Shoutmon who responded "Oh trust me... It'll be worth every minute of it's run time..." Agumon felt a bit relieved to hear that. And meanwhile, Gatomon and V-Mon had decided to go to the rooftops of the internet community. Though V-Mon was still a bit puzzled, since he was supposed to spend time with Guilmon and the others.

"Gatomon, no offenshe... But I wash going to shpend shome time with Guilmon, Shoutmon and Agumon... Thish didn't have to be jusht the two of ush." V-Mon said to Gatomon, who sighed and responded "I understand that this was supposed to be a day for you guys... But I just wanted to come here so Renamon would actually talk to Guilmon. I get that you want to spend the day with your friends, and I completely respect that. It's just that, I wanted to talk to you for a bit." V-Mon then started to understand Gatomon's reasoning. "Well, thanksh for the talk... I'm gonna jusht go back to the othersh now... Shee you around?" V-Mon said to Gatomon who then waved and responded "See you around." V-Mon then jumped down to see how Agumon and Shoutmon were doing. Gatomon looked down at them and said "Well... I guess this was a job well done. Not only did I finally get Renamon to do something, but I also got to see how V-Mon's doing. Now to get back to Kari... Before she and Mrs. Kamiya have a fit..." Before deciding to jump off and head towards the pipe leading to probably Hikari's computer. "Sho guysh? What did you talk about?" V-Mon asked wanting a recap from Shoutmon and Agumon. "It turns out, there might be an appeal to this romance stuff you guys happened to get into..." Agumon said to V-Mon. Shoutmon then added "It's because I told him about the Princess Bride."

Agumon turned his head away from Shoutmon and V-Mon just to deny Shoutmon's words. "No! It's just... Shoutmon said something convincing... That's all..." Agumon said feeling a bit flustered towards Shoutmon. "Eh, don't mind him... He's just being absurd right now." Shoutmon said to V-Mon who still pondered which side was correct, due to him not hearing the entire conversation. When they got back to Renamon and Guilmon, Jesmon seemed to be there. "Ah, Imperialdramon... You're just in time." Jesmon said to V-Mon who then asked "Time for what?" Jesmon then pointed towards what seemed to be another portal, connecting the Internet community to the Digital World. "As you can see, we're expanding our community for more Digimon to come and go. We've just recently tried connecting to the Industrial sector. Though, that was mostly on the behest of EBEmon... Who personally wanted some of the machine Digimon to see what they make of this place. And I do have to say, they are liking what they're seeing." Jesmon explained to the group. Vulcanusmon seemed to be in the area, and said "I must admit Jesmon... Things seemed to have gotten much bigger since you've started."

Jesmon turned to greet the Olympus Mon. "I'm honored to have you here Vulcanusmon." Jesmon said bowing to Vulcanusmon. "Now now... No need to worry about that! After all, you and the other Royal Knights are on the same level as the Olympus XII. So in the end, we're all just equals here." Vulcanusmon said to Jesmon, just so he didn't need to bow. "I was just showing Imperialdramon, Gallantmon, Omnimon and their friends what new additions we've had..." Jesmon explained to Vulcanusmon who seemed confused. "I apologize, I only see Guilmon, Renamon, V-Mon, Shoutmon and Agumon. Their Mega forms aren't anywhere to be seen." Vulcanusmon said to Jesmon who responded "I usually address my fellow Knights by their Mega forms... And not really their rookie forms. Though I think highly of Shoutmon, I haven't gotten too acquanted with Renamon... Though only one half of Omnimon is here, I can assure you... He's no longer our enemy." Vulcanusmon then looked down at Agumon and said "I only see a Digimon, who's recently become a part of Omnimon. His data has likely been rewritten. For the sole purpose of countering Yggdrasil." Jesmon then pondered that thought. However, Agumon didn't seem too happy about that. "A bold claim Olympus mon... Though I may not have Omnimon's parts... I have become a part of the Digimon itself. So unless you want me to get Taichi, Gabumon and Yamato... I suggest you treat me with the respect I deserve."

Vulcanusmon sighed at Agumon's statement and responded "I see... Very well then, I'd like to personally see Omnimon in front of me in a few days. If I see that part of his data still exists... Then I shall give you the respect you deserve Agumon. You may have destroyed DarkKnightmon, and fought the Bagra Army... But that was because Shoutmon and his power of Digi-Xrossing assisted you. I have respect for Shoutmon, because of his leadership qualities. V-Mon for his flexibility to change. Guilmon for finding the part he was missing, and not assimilating it. Renamon for her pragmatic abilities. Though when it comes to you Agumon, I see a warrior who only desires a battle. A battle worthy of his skills. And though I admire your courage, it will only get you so far. I have seen your fight with Diablomon, and what I saw was you endangering yourself and your Tamer... Just for the sake of your own pride! That is not a quality I respect. Arrogance is what bred something as deadly as the Demon lords. And during their reawakening... They terrorized the Digital World with their mere prescence..." Agumon then felt a pang of guilt hit him. Like this tendency could turn him into something worse than Diablomon.

Shoutmon pointed his microphone stand at Vulcanusmon and said "Okay, that's far enough pal! Sure Agumon may want to seek out a fight, but that doesn't mean he's nothing but a blood knight! He's more than those things, he has the drive to care about each and every one of us. He may charge in alone on occassion, but he always comes through for us even when we have to get him back from those perils! He's one of my best friends, and if you want to continue taking shots... Then fight me instead!" Agumon then puts his hand out and said "Shoutmon... He's right. I've not only nearly doomed you one too many times, but I've also nearly doomed the entire world because of my recklessness. But... That doesn't mean I'll stop fighting. Hell, I challenge you Vulcanusmon! To a duel! And if I win, you will give me some damn respect!" Vulcanusmon looks down at Agumon and smirks. "Interesting... You aim to keep your resolve to fight... Despite your arrogance keeping you down. Good, very good. When your friend defends you, that is when you re-ignite your resolve. And that was exactly what I wanted to see. Though I still truly feel that your recklessness will get you killed one day, I can see now why you do try to be that way. I shall meet you in three of your human days. No more, no less." Vulcanusmon said before leaving the Internet community.

"So, he decided to gambit on me challenging him. Fine then! I'll get Taichi and then we'll teach that Olympus mon a lesson!" Agumon said out loud in front of each of the Digimon present. "Agumon, do you really think that you and Tai could take on an Olympus mon by yourselves?" Shoutmon asked Agumon who responded "Of course! And besides, if he really did wish to challenge my resolve... He should've said so up front, instead of trying to debunk me. So don't worry, Tai and I will definitely be able to take him down and prove him to be completely wrong about me!" Agumon then decided to head out of the Internet community. "Unless Tai and Agumon are skilled enough to take on one of the Olympus mons... I don't think they stand a chance." Shoutmon says regarding the situation. Renamon then asks "How powerful are these Olympus mons exactly?" Shoutmon was a bit surprised to hear someone other than Guilmon ask that kind of question, though that was mostly due to Guilmon not knowing anything about the Olympus mons. "Well considering they've garnered just as much of a reputation as the Demon lords and Royal Knights... It's a safe bet that they're just as strong. Or maybe stronger depending on the mon."

Jesmon then added "And though Vulcanusmon is a blacksmith in the Digital World, he is quite capable of handling himself against other Mega level Digimon. And seeing that he created most of the chrome Digizoid that, the Royal Knights like myself use... It's a safe bet he would know their every weakness as well as their strengths." Guilmon seemed very intrigued by this information, while Renamon was quite shocked that a Digimon who could be more powerful than some of the Royal Knights was just a simple blacksmith. "At least that battle won't happen until next Monday... Since tomorrow is Rika's birthday. And we wanted to simply keep the surprise party from her until tomorrow afternoon. And I hope that there won't be any disturbances..." Renamon said to Jesmon who responded "Huh... I never knew that humans would celebrate the day of their birth every year. But then again, the more you know." Guilmon then said "Well this year, Simon was really surprised at the party we threw him in the Dojo. So, I hope the trend could continue with Rika." Shoutmon sighed and said "Well, I'm gonna be seeing Agumon later today... Since I actually got him to come over and watch a romance film with me and Mrs. Kudo." Before leaving the Internet community. V-Mon had left momentarily during Vulcanusmon's little speech...

Since he remembered that Jun and Daisuke had something planned for him in the afternoon. Guilmon and Renamon then bowed to Jesmon in respect and left the Internet Community for the real world. Jesmon then decided to meditate for quite a while, just to clear his mind of any doubts he might have in him. Though strangely enough a fighting spirit appeared right behind him and seemed to make a similar motion to Jesmon. That didn't go unnoticed to the Royal Knight, since he was channeling his energy into producing the fighting spirit. "Okay good... At least that part of Vulcanusmon's training is still intact. Now... To see if it has any abilities that I could use..." Jesmon said to himself before having the fighting spirit generate power into him. He seemed to give off a glow, that didn't go unnoticed to the rest of the community. Though in his case, he wish that it did go unnoticed due to him needing undivided attention on the fighting spirit. "If only this part of my ability didn't come with a glow like this. Then maybe I'd be able to train in peace..." Jesmon said to himself, while lampshading the whole situation...

* * *

Meanwhile in the Human world...

Taiki and Taichi, seemed to be blown away by the new movie that was shown to them. "It was like a dream come true." Taichi said and Taiki responded "Yeah... My mind's been officially blown by this movie..." They then walked out of the apartment, while Daisuke and Simon stayed for a bit. "Well, at the very least I was able to satisfy Tai in the sense of similar interests in anime." Simon said to Daisuke who then looked at his watch. "Gotta go! Jun and I are planning something with V-Mon! I'll see you tomorrow!" Daisuke says to Simon before leaving the apartment. Simon waves to him goodbye... And then Guilmon appears from Simon's computer. "You're back earlier than I thought..." Simon said to Guilmon who responded "Well... I finally got to say what I wanted to Renamon... And yes, I am in love with her." Simon seemed a bit surprised by Guilmon's confession... And smiled at him. "It's nice to see you come to terms with that. You've been a bit hung up on Renamon since the Digital World. After all that, you now realize that there is something between you two?" Simon said to Guilmon who shrugged it off. "So what did you guys do today?" Guilmon asked Simon who responded "Well I had to show Tai and Taiki Dragon Ball Z Battle of Gods, and they really enjoyed it. Especially during the final battle of the movie. At the end, both of them were in a state of mind blown..."

Guilmon seemed a bit surprised by all that, since he heard that Shoutmon convinced Agumon to watch a movie with him and Mrs. Kudo. "So... How goes the plans for Rika's 15th birthday party?" Guilmon asks Simon who responds "As long as Rumiko doesn't accidentally spill the beans, and no Digimon decide to come down here... I guess we're in the clear. But just to be safe, I wanted some of the others on rooftops by tomorrow to watch the streets and make sure no Digimon tries anything stupid." Guilmon then said "Well, I guess that things will be a bit peaceful. After Mephistomon... I could use a break." Simon responded "Me too. But knowing our enemies... They're probably never going to give us an inch are they?" Guilmon shakes his head and Simon looks out the window to see that the sun is starting to set. "Okay good, once again... We'll be back on patrol, and stopping any criminal who dares to defile our great city!" Simon said with enthusiasm. Guilmon nodded up and down excitededly and Simon decided to gear up a bit early. Daisuke and Jun had decided to see if V-Mon would be interested in something nice for dinner. Though V-Mon had then said "Whatever you two make ish good enough for me!" Before watching and waiting patiently...

* * *

Back in the Digital World...

There seemed to be a Train on a railway network running through the industrial sector, that would often make trips to the hub sector and throughout most of the Digital World... With the exception of the Sovereign's sector. This train seemed to be that of a tank engine... Much like one that many children are familiar with. However, this one seemed to be mostly smiling throughout his journey, because he personally enjoys his jobs. Once he dropped off a few guests, he then headed back to the industrial sector for maintenance. "Ah... That felt good. Nothing like showing guests the roundabout of the Digital World. It's just that, business seems to be slowing down for some reason. But oh well, at least there might be some jobs left for me..." The train said to itself, wondering why business had slowed down for him. This was mostly because of the teleportation system that has been implemented into the Digital World. There were times where, this train seemed to envy the advancement of technology throughout the Digital World. "Sometimes... I just wanna keep on runnin' and I don't want anybody to stop that..." Suddenly, a voice beckoned to him... "That can be arranged... Locomon..." The voice said to him. "Huh!? Who said that!? I swear, if it's that conductor I'm fine I tell ya!" The train responded in a panicked state.

That was... until the voice in question attached itself to the top of the head. Something seemed to overcome the train's mind. Something was telling him to give in to his innate desires... "I... I... I wanna run... I wanna keep on a runnin!" The train said before furiously detaching itself from the station. "What the!? Locomon! Where are you going!" The conductor Digimon said to Locomon who seemed to just outright ignore him. Meanwhile, a drone in the Digital World was watching the whole thing unfold. "Good... Excellent... Soon, the human world will be ensnared into the chaos. For this creature, is no ordinary Digimon... It's a Digimon who has the power to make people give in to their innermost desires! Though they may fight it, and try to resist the urge... But it comes to them. And all other sentient life on this planet!" Yggdrasil said with excitement. Though it seemed that Grima had decided to make an appearance as well. "So this was your latest plan? To make humanity give in to it's darkest wishes?" Grima asked Yggdrasil who then asked "Any thoughts on this...? Or should I just tell him to cancel the mission...?" Grima then gave a creepy smile and responded "It's perfect. Though it may not be successful in the end... But I know we'll finally get to see what humanity truly wants in the end!"

 **And so, they seemed to cackle on, and on... Until the Train known as Locomon was nowhere to be seen. What heinous plot does Yggdrasil and Grima have in store for Simon and co.? And, can they hope to stop this would be menace? Find out next time, On Digimon Tamers Crimson: Knights of Grim!**


	28. The Runaway Locomon!

The following is a non-profit Fanfiction. Digimon is owned by Toei Animation, Bandai, Akiyoshi Hongo and licensed by Saban Brands. Please support the official release, by buying the DVDs...

Digimon Tamers Crimson OVA 4: The Runaway Locomon...

Today seemed like an interesting day for our heroes. Since it was Rika's birthday, they wanted to surprise her at her house. Rumiko was taking Rika around to see some sights, and for once not do any shopping. Though Rumiko, Simon and the others had already taken care of that. He had kept on monitering the two throughout their trip... But on top of the roofs with Guilmon, just in case things went south. Renamon was also keeping a close eye on her for similar reasons. Henry and Suzie meanwhile, were returning from a trip they had decided to take with their Digimon before the party. Hikari was at Rika's house with Daisuke so they could get everything ready for her arrival. "Davis, have you ever prepared a house for a birthday party?" Hikari asks Daisuke who responds "Actually, this is my first time doing it for someone who isn't Jun. So, pardon me if I botch anything up." Hikari sighs, but decides to continue on. Gatomon was helping out with the ceiling decorations, and was receiving assistance from V-Mon. Who didn't really seem to mind just handing things to Gatomon, despite being able to leap as high as her.

Takeru decided to spend time with Taiki and the rest of Xros Heart... Which was mostly to patrol the area, just to make sure there weren't any party crashers. Sora, Koushiro and Yamato were a tad bit busy with their own things, and they didn't really know Rika or the other Tamers all that well. So they weren't really invited. Ken seemed to be patrolling from his own end, but ended up in communications with Nia, who was on Behemoth with Impmon. Waiting for anything to get her to fight. "Anything on your end Ken?" Nia asked on her cell phone to Ken, who responded "Nothing yet. But I'll gladly let you know the moment I spot something." Nia then nodded before hanging up and putting her phone on rest mode. "Well Simon, here's to the surprise party actually succeeding." Nia said to herself before sitting down and relaxing on Behemoth. Impmon seemed to be a bit nonchalant about Nia sitting on Behemoth, but that was mostly due to her ability to tame it's power. Which is the same thing that was able to tame Reapmon. When Rika and Rumiko were at the train station, they had just got back from an art museum. Unfortunately, Rumiko seemed to have accidentally given away some hints.

"Okay mom, what's going on? You never seem interested in going to an art museum, and now you decide to take me further around town for whatever reason. So what's up?" Rika asked Rumiko who responded "Well, I just thought it'd be nice to do a little more bonding time, and maybe go some place that isn't a shopping mall or a clothing store. Is that really so bad that, I just want to do something different with my daughter today?" Rika then felt a little skeptical by her mother's answer. Though it seemed somewhat truthful, there was a little white lie in it. Rumiko suddenly noticed her phone vibrate in her purse. "Um, hello?" Rumiko said in the phone. Meanwhile, Seiko was monitering Daisuke and Hikari's duties for the party. "I see you two have been making a great amount of progress. I think I should give Rumiko a call, just to tell her how things are going." Seiko said before going to the phone and dialing Rumiko's number. Though, it seemed that Daisuke and Hikari were somewhat worried about that declaration. But ultimately decided against stopping her. "Yes, everything's going fine. I just hope that Rika won't be too upset about the whole thing." Seiko said to the phone speaker.

However, what she didn't expect was Rumiko's hesisitation to respond. "Rumiko? Hello? Are you there?" Seiko was asking on the other end, though Rumiko was trying to keep quiet. "Yes, I'm fine. Don't worry about me and Rika, we're just fine! I'll talk to you later!" Rumiko says quickly before hanging up. "They're planning a surprise party for me aren't they?" Rika asked Rumiko who responded "Who's they? I don't know what you were talking about!" Rika sighed and said "Well, how about I call the real mastermind behind the party and then we'll see!" Before dialing a familiar phone number. Rumiko sighed and realized that she unintentionally messed things up. "Well Guilmon, so far everything's been running smoothly. Henry should be back at the train station and we'll all be heading over to the Nonaka residence in no-" Simon was saying before his phone vibrated in his pocket. "Ackerman speaking, how may I help you today...?" Simon said before realizing it was Rika who called. "I knew there was something fishy going on the moment we went to that art museum. And you are the source of it all Simon. So spill the beans!" Rika said on the other end, to which Simon cringed at her yelling.

"Okay, okay you caught us. We were trying to throw you a surprise party, and Henry was going to meet you at the train station to take you to your house. And speaking of which he and Suzie should be arriving... Now." Simon said to Rika who then saw a train pull up and Henry along with Suzie exit the train to greet Rika. "Hey Rika, I guess from your expression the cat's out of the bag?" Henry asked Rika who pinched the bridge of her nose. "Look Simon, I know you mean well. And I appreciate everything you do for me. But could you just tell the others to cancel the party? It's just not something I'm into." Rika said to Simon as the train Henry was on, ended up leaving the station. It ended up connecting to another part of the railroad, as it was disembarking. "Rika, you know we can't cancel something like that when it's well underway. So could you please do me a solid and just pretend to be surprised?" Simon asked Rika who responded "I'm not all that good with solids Simon. I mean, after all of this you really expect me to be surprised anymore?"

Suddenly, as Rika was saying this, Terriermon and Lopmon both picked up what appeared to be another Digimon. "Rika, I think Terriermon and Lopmon sensed something!" Henry said before pointing towards the left side of the station. Henry then ran over and moved Rika away from the train tracks. "You okay Rika?" Henry asked Rika who responded "I'm fine. But, was that..." She seemed too shocked to finish her sentence. "Rika, what was that noise? Cause if this is a bio-emergeance, we're heading towards you!" Simon said on the phone before Rika hung up and chased after the train. Henry with Terriermon ran after her frantically, and Suzie was left behind with Rumiko. "Well Lopmon, you wanna just evolve to Antylamon to catch up?" Suzie asked Lopmon who nodded before Suzie used a blue card, to Super evolve Lopmon into Antylamon. Simon meanwhile, felt a bit angered by Rika not responding to him. And decided to text the other Tamers on what's happening. Nia immediately spiral matrix evolved with Impmon to become Beelzemon, before riding towards the destination on the text on Behemoth. Ken had gotten Wormmon to turn into Stingmon, who carried him towards where Beelzemon was riding towards. Daisuke and Hikari didn't get the message, but were instead told by the news that there was an unusual train moving uncontrollably through the railroad, at near ludicrous speeds.

Simon and Guilmon were the first to show up at a station, nearby where the train was heading. "Guilmon, I better get you to Ultimate level." Simon said to Guilmon who nodded in agreement. Simon then slashed a blue card for Guilmon to evolve straight into WarGrowlmon. The train then came at WarGrowlmon, who was able to stop it right in it's tracks. Unfortunately, the train still kept on trying to force WarGrowlmon out of the path. "Okay, I know for a fact that trains stop immediately when something that big and strong catches it. Let's see if this is a Digimon or not." Simon says before analyzing the train with his Digivice. "Locomon, Data Type, Ultimate Level. Attacks are: Steam Bomb and Wheel Grinder." Simon says quoting his Digivice. He then sees that Locomon is gradually winning the war of attrition with WarGrowlmon. Simon then takes this opportunity to get on top of the train, and says "WarGrowlmon, just move out of the way! This isn't something that brute force itself can stop! I'll find a way to stop it! You try to see if you can get the others caught up to speed!" WarGrowlmon nodded before moving out of the way for Locomon to speed on through. WarGrowlmon then de-evolved back into Guilmon and with Simon's phone, that he put on the other side of the station texted the without breaking the phone, or scratching the screen with his claws.

Guilmon then decided to assimilate the phone into his own data, just to store for when Simon will need it. Simon meanwhile, seemed to be walking on top of the train cars. "Well, at least the magnets on my combat boots make this effortless." Simon said to himself before he kept climbed down a ladder and opened a door leading into a car. "Huh... So Locomon doesn't seem to be carrying any passengers. Interesting, at least, when you consider that there aren't any hostages on board." Simon lampshaded the situation regarding the lack of hostages to rescue. Though it seemed that, he wasn't going to be alone on the train ride. He then heard a noise on the roof of the car and went to investigate. "Well I guess that, if I am going to do this, someone's gonna be coming for the ride." Simon said regarding Henry, Rika and their partner's prescense on top of the train. "So then, who's the new Digimon in town?" Rika asked Simon who responded "It's name is Locomon, and for whatever reason he seems to be on an uncontrollable joyride through all of Shinjuku. And meanwhile, I'm hoping that Guilmon will get my phone back to me when he gets on the train." Terriermon then raised a hand and asked "Question! How is our friendly neighborhood Kaiju going to get on here?" Simon smirked and answered "He has his methods."

* * *

In another area, where the trains were being managed... The workers were getting phone call, after phone call, telling the people on the railroad the exact same thing. Which is to get off the railroad, until further orders. However, it seemed that a familiar man from Hypnos has come to the office in hopes of assisting them. "Greetings gentlemen. From now on, I'm running this operation. And if you tell me that I have no authority, here's my government badge." Yamaki said before presenting his official government badge to the workers, who then decided that he's in charge. "Well sir, the current situation is that, there's a train going around in circles for no reason. And it's nearly caused severe accidents along it's way!" One of the workers said to Yamaki who responded "Well then, if that's the case. It's likely an evil Digimon who wishes to spread chaos around the world." The worker was a bit surprised by that revelation and said "You mean like the ones on the news!?" Yamaki shook his head and responded "No. Those Digimon on the news, are on our side. This Digimon is one of the ones they protect us from. And right now, I can only assume they're on the train helping to solve the situation as quickly and humane as possible. So what can we do you ask? We simply have the train go into a direction that leads straight into that vortex it's creating."

The worker nodded and then asked "Wait, you said vortex... What do you mean by that?" Yamaki then flicks open and closes his lighter before saying "It's creating a portal from the Digital World." The worker was even more afraid of that answer, and decided to alert the people on the railroads to start rearranging the tracks so that, Locomon will head straight into the portal and back home. "Alright, I just need to make one phone call." Yamaki said before dialing a familiar number. Guilmon meanwhile was busy digging a hole in between the tracks, waiting for Locomon to come back. When he suddenly felt vibrations on his body. He pulled out Simon's phone and answered "Hello? Mr. Yamaki sir?" Guilmon asked Yamaki who then responded "Listen, Guilmon. Is Simon there right now?" Guilmon shook his head and answered "No, I'm waiting for the train to come back so that I can help Simon stop it." Yamaki at first didn't know if he should respond, but then decided to tell him anyway. "Listen Gulimon, it's imperative that Simon gets this message alright!?" Guilmon nodded and then said "Just tell me what to do Mr. Yamaki, and I'll let Simon know the moment I get on board the train!" Yamaki then felt a bit happy that, Guilmon was actually taking this somewhat seriously...

* * *

Back with Simon and co.

"So you guys decided to jump onto the train, while I was sitting here investigating. And now, I'm getting into my Shadow Tamer gear, for practically nothing." Simon said while suiting up. Henry seemed to feel sheepish towards Simon's statement, but then Rika said "Well Mr. Schemer, maybe we wanted to save the day on our own! I don't like surprise parties, and there's no need to do this for me! If this is about making it up for me, then forget it! We don't need your help!" She then stormed off to the front car with Renamon in tow. Henry wanted Rika to wait and listen. "I just wanted to be a good friend towards her, and she thinks I'm still depressed about what happened three years ago? I feel like I'm in some kind of rerun or something..." Simon said expressing his disdain towards Rika's reasoning. "Well, I'm gonna go make sure she doesn't get into any trouble. You keep suiting up there." Henry said to Simon before he and Terriermon went after Rika and Renamon. Henry then came across Rika and Renamon at the engine. "Any luck yet?" Henry asked Rika who responded "No... This thing's more stubborn than I thought. It's so hot that not even ice attacks can cool it off." Terriermon looked over at Renamon and said "Well, we could at least cut off the passenger cars since no one's on board." Renamon looked back at Terriermon and responded "That will be a last resort. I'm sure someone has a plan somewhere."

Suddenly, Henry's phone vibrated in his pocket. "Jianliang Wong speaking." Henry said to the reciever. "Henry, Yamaki and I are at the Rail centre. We've devised a plan that will cause Locomon to run into that vortex in the center. So if you kids are still on the train by the time the plan moves to phase 2, we need you to get off immediately!" Janyu said on the other side. "Well dad, we are on the train... But Rika's currently trying to stop it." Henry told Janyu who didn't really seem that surprised by that statement. "Alright, just tell her what's happening and leave everything to us for a change." Janyu said before he hung up on Henry. "Huh. Who knew that he wanted to do things for a change." Henry said regarding Janyu's interest in saving the world. Meanwhile, Simon seemed to have his headset installed and tried to get in communication with anyone on the apartment end. "Okay Leeron, I really need you to answer me right now." Simon said to himself before recieving a signal from Leeron and Kittan. "You only had to ask Simon. So what's the big issue?" Leeron asked Simon who responded "Look outside and gaze at that purple vortex of doom, slowly forming in the center of the railroad." Kittan went and looked at it. "Well shit. Looks like we've got a really bad one this time." Kittan said to Kittan who then relayed the message to Simon.

"Okay, and right now we're stuck on this train. So unless Rika and Henry figure a way to disable the engine, we're currently sitting ducks." Simon responded to Kittan's statement. "Okay, I know you're not one to shirk off responsiblity. But remind me why this time." Kittan said to Simon who sighed and responded "Because everyone here still thinks I'm trying to atone for three years ago. All I wanted to do, was be a good friend to Rika and now I get her thinking that I'm still a brooding Henry Cavill." Both Kittan and Leeron were confused by Simon's comparison. "It's a reference to really bad reboot. That's all." Kittan shrugged his shoulders and asked "Alright, now do you have your phone?" Simon while putting on his new gauntlets responded "No. Guilmon has it right now. Why?" Kittan sighed before answering "Because your government pen pal Yamaki called, and had issued an order for train workers to get their asses in gear, and move the tracks so that Locomon will be heading into the dead center of it all." Simon's eyes widened a bit and was thinking of the possible outcomes for this scenario. "Well at least his plan isn't inhumane like nuking it. And by this point, Guilmon should probably be on the train in just a few minutes." Simon said to Kittan before turning off the comm device.

Suddenly, the door that was nearby Simon was blasted off it's hinges. "Nice entrance. Though I'm pretty sure you could've opened that door yourself buddy." Simon said to Guilmon who shrugged his shoulders and responded "Well, that's only the first step in the plan. Beelzemon is already on his way here." Simon looked out the window and saw Beelzemon on Behemoth. "Nice to see you too Simon. I guess the surprise party was already spoiled?" Beelzemon said to Simon who responded "Yeah, let's just say that Rika still has some bitter feelings towards me. So right now, stick to the side of the train and avoid any attacks Locomon tries throwing at you." Beelzemon gave him a salute and sped towards one of the front cars. "At least he isn't driving too fast." Simon said to himself before deciding to move further up into the train cars. Henry seemed to be spending time with Terriermon and Renamon, who was asked to remain with Henry while she takes care of the train issue. "I must wonder what goes through that girl's head everyday." Renamon says to herself regarding Rika. "Well, I'd say that she still has some trust issues, but is at least willing to tell you or me about it." Henry responded to Renamon's statement. "For now, I just hope she's unscathed." Renamon then said. Rika came out into the car with a wrench she found earlier. "Oh Rika! Thank goodness you're alright!" Henry said before Renamon noticed something odd about her...

Suddenly, Rika had approached Henry with a severe lack of hesitation. Which was something Henry found very strange about her. Especially in front of their Digimon partners. "Um, Rika? What happened back there?" Henry asked Rika who then in utter silence, embraced Henry. Still lacking any form of emotion in her eyes. Rika then looked up at Henry and just kiss him. Renamon and Terriermon were both visably shocked, and tried to snap Rika out of it... Only for strange green tentacles to wrap around them and pin the two onto the walls nearby. Henry's eyes widened, and tried to escape the kiss to help them. But found that he too was ensnared by the strange green tentacles. He tried to speak, but only through gaps of Rika letting him breath could he speak. "Rika! This isn't like you! Fight it!" Henry yelled, trying to get Rika to snap out of her trance. "I-I-I want... Love... I want... To be... Loved... Like him..." Rika said in her current state. She then continued to press her lips against Henry's who's eyes widened to the point of tears streaming. Simon had entered the room just then. "Okay, guys I think we got a plan going and- Oh my..." Simon said noticing the sight in front of him.

"Simon, why are Renamon and Terriermon pinned to the walls?" Guilmon asked Simon who answered "Honestly, I don't know. All I can tell is where this would be going, had we not arrived." He then pulled out Falchion and chopped the tentacles to pieces. Along with the creature that attached itself to Rika. She then fell unconscious and Henry was there to catch her. "I leave you two alone for a few minutes, and come to find that she got possessed and was about to do something freaky with you." Simon said to Henry who then asked "What was that?" Simon pondered a bit on what that spider thing was, and made a connection. "If Rika was possessed to just sit there and kiss you, that must mean that... This train must be in a similar type of possession! It's some kind of creature that either gives you specific commands, or it makes you give in to your innermost desires." Simon said analyzing the situation and thinking about where the one possessing the train might be. Henry looked at Rika and said "Rika had told me, that she wanted to be loved... Like perhaps, maybe you?" Simon looked back at the two and responded "I guess that's why she has an inner grudge against me. She ends up jealous of how much I'm supposedly loved everyday. That has taught me to give to others the same thing I recieved. And you guys along with the rest of the tamers, were truthfully my first and best friends I've ever had. So I don't want her thinking that she isn't loved despite all this!"

Simon then headed to the door and said "Now if you'll excuse me, I've got some business to take care of." Before going through the door with Guilmon in tow. Rika then started to regain consciousness, and saw Henry's face. "Hey. You finally awake?" Henry asked Rika who responded "Yeah... I'm fine. So you could let go of me now." Henry shook his head and said "I'm afraid if I do that, the spider on top of the train will probably get you again." Rika felt sad and cried into Henry's shirt. "Henry, Why!? Why are you taking pity on me!? You don't need to coddle me! It'd be better for both of us if you just-" Rika said before Henry lifted her head and looked her in the eye. "Look! I would never coddle you. I'm not going to pity you, since I know you hate that. The problem is that, I heard you say that you wanted to be loved like Simon. Don't worry about that! You've got your mom, grandma, Renamon and all of the Digimon Tamers and their partners. And most of all, you have me. So don't worry, we all care about you like a family. A family that has a few people in relationships like you and me, but you get the idea right?" Rika pondered that thought and gave Henry a kiss, that he gladly returned. "Tell anyone, and I give you an arrow to the knee." Rika said to Henry who nodded in understanding. "Thank goodness everything's back to normal! I don't know how much soap opera stuff I could listen to big bro!" Terriermon said before jumping back onto Henry's shoulder.

They both decided that they were all going outside to confront the creature who possessed Rika earlier. Simon on the otherhand, seemed to be at the engine with his arms slightly raised. "Simon, what are you doing?" Guilmon asked Simon who responded "Waiting for a spider with tentacles to take me." Suddenly, he felt tentacles wrap around his arms and legs while forcing him on top of the train. He sees that the creature is in fact, a pink spider with a huge eyeball. "So, you're the one they call Simon Ackerman..." The spider said to Simon who responded "Guilty as charged. And now, I'm wondering if this is gonna go exactly where I think it's gonna go." The spider seemed confused by what Simon meant by that, until one of his underlings rode along his tentacle and went to attach itself to Simon's back. Simon felt like something was attacking his mind, probing it for answers and felt extreme pain flowing through his body. "Ah, we got a fighter it looks like! Now, give in to your desire! Show me what you want most, and go make it true!"

It looked as though Simon was about to give in, until Beelzemon shot off the spider and Simon felt immediate relief. "Thanks Beelzemon! It's a good thing you're here!" Simon said to Beelzemon who gave him a thumbs up. Simon then got up and Guilmon decided to jump to the top of the train as well. Henry, then analyzed the Digimon on top of Locomon. "Parasimon, Virus type, Mega Level. Attacks are: Electric bind and Digicabolic Steroid." Henry said quoting his Digivice. Suddenly, it seemed that Locomon was gaining a new part that looked like it was designed to crush rocks. "Locomon evolve to... GrandLocomon!" Locomon said announcing it's new form as it continued speeding down the road, past the construction workers who just finished the railroad rearrangement. "Good news, we've passed the rails. Bad news, we've still got a guy to deal with!" Simon said regarding the current situation. Beelzemon then gave behemoth a command before jumping off and onto the train. "I told behemoth to retreat back to the station. So for now, I'm on the ground." Beelzemon said before pulling out his twin pistols. Simon then cracked his knuckles before inserting the core drill into his Digivice. Henry and Rika then decided to follow suit.

 **SPIRAL MATRIX EVOLUTION._**

 **Guilmon Spiral Matrix Evolve to... Gallantmon!**

 **Terriermon Spiral Matrix Evolve to... MegaGargomon!**

 **Renamon Spiral Matrix Evolve to... Sakuyamon!**

Gallantmon pointed Falchion at Parasimon and asked "Any last words scumbag? Or shall I skewer you?" Parasimon suddenly felt fear at the sight of Gallantmon and three other mega level Digimon who could easily kill him. "I feel as though we've gotten on the wrong page, oh mighty Gallantmon. Perhaps if we have a word with Lord Yggdrasil, we could see if things can straighten out between us. What do ya say to that?" Parasimon said, trying to persuade Gallantmon into stopping to talk, to absolutely no success. Gallantmon took a deep breath and released said breath. He then stomped on Parasimon's head and charged up his blade. "Lightning Drill Joust!" He yelled before turning Falchion into a drill and piercing right through his eye. Suddenly, Parasimon seemed to be laughing. "What's so funny!?" MegaGargomon asked Parasimon who responded "It's too late now. You all are gonna die at the hands of my posse. So have fun with that!" Parasimon said while shooting out a group of tendrils that headed straight for the vortex. There seemed to be a whole group of Parasimon falling from the vortex and headed for quite a few groups of people in the city.

* * *

All the while, Xros Heart ended up seeing this and decided to take immediate action. Takeru, Taichi and Taiki spiral matrix evolved with their partners, while Kiriha Digi-Xrossed Greymon with Mailbirdramon, and then evolved him into ZekeGreymon. "Can't you people see that it's too dangerous to be here!? Get out and leave the fighting to us!" Kiriha said on top of ZekeGreymon. At first, Kiriha didn't see what was coming... Until a large beetle Digimon came in and punched it right in the face. He ended up sliding on the road. "Well, it's been a while since I actually took on this form." The beetle Digimon said to himself before wall jumping off of building to help take down the other Parasimon. "Kiriha, did he just become the One Punch Mon?" ZekeGreymon asked Kiriha who responded "No. I think that might have been one of the Legendary warriors of old." ZekeGreymon then says "Well?! We gotta go out there and show that Xros Heart can be just as good, if not better than the Legendary Warriors!" Kiriha snaps out of his trance and responds "Right! Let's go." Before they charged back into the fray. On the roof tops it seems Mr. Asagi and Gai were watching the action unfold. "I know you really wanna go down there and fight." Gai said to Mr. Asagi who responded "I just want to spend some summer vacation with my family, and all I get is this nonsense!" Some of the Parasimon jumped towards the duo and all of a sudden, a ring of fire surrounded the two and consumed the Parasimon.

Out of the flames came a humanoid warrior clad in red armor, and a black warrior clad in black armor with a lion motif. These two were known as Agnimon and Lowemon. Lowemon's weapons were that of a spear and lion motif shield. "You cover the western district, I'll take eastern. Then again, I'm sure Kittan's gonna be issuing orders soon." Lowemon said to Agnimon who responded "Yeah, yeah I know. Besides... At least now I'll be able to remove some of this rust." The two then jumped away and headed towards their respective areas. Gallantmon looked at the whole situation once they got off of Locomon, who stopped just before the portal. "Parasimon played us all for fools. He wanted to summon a portal that, even in death would open and allow his gang to cause some mischief. Well in that case, let's coordinate our attacks and take out as many as we can." Gallantmon said to the others who nodded in response. They then all went into Shinjuku and got in a few kills. MegaGargomon opened up his arsenal and started destroying quite a lot of them with his missiles. Beelzemon was getting in a few shots, as well as slashing and kicking down the few who would get close to him. However, another warrior that appeared to be like the other three appeared and took down one that was sneaking up on Gallantmon.

"You know I could've gotten him off right?" Gallantmon asked the Legendary warrior who seemed to be clad in white armor, but with a wolf like motif. "Can't let you kids hog all the fun now can I?" The wolf warrior responded. This was Lobomon, the Legendary warrior of light. And leader of the previous generation of legendary warriors. "Now then, I'm guessing these spiders are trying to take over people's minds?" Lobomon asked Gallantmon who responded "Yeah, and they're actually really weak mega level Digimon. So, this wouldn't be much of a problem... Except for the fact that they keep spawning everywhere." He then gave Gallantmon a pat on the shoulder before going on his merry way. "Simon, who was that?" Beelzemon asked the question that was on everyone's minds. "That was my dad... As Lobomon." Gallantmon answered to everyone's shocked reactions. "For now, we got little spiders and no time to waste so let's kick some ass!" Gallantmon said to everyone who shrugged and followed Gallantmon's lead. UlforceVeedramon and Ophanimon seemed to be busy dealing with a few of the bugs, along with Agnimon who happened to be in the same place. "So, you're Mr. Asagi?" UlforceVeedramon asked Agnimon who responded "Yeah, and...?" UlforceVeedramon held up a finger before slicing one in half instantaneously. "Can we talk about this? I mean, when we're done and all?" UlforceVeedramon asked Agnimon who responded "How can I refuse one of my students..." Ophanimon meanwhile seemed to be merely controlling her colored orbs which kept destroying each of the parasimon.

* * *

Meanwhile in Yggdrasil's tree...

Both Yggdrasil and Grima were watching the madness from their crystal ball. "Beautiful, isn't it my lord? Or, is this not what you wanted all this time? Madness and destruction everywhere you looked? It's just as exciting as any of those motion pictures you talk about." Yggdrasil asked Grima who looked intently at the ball and said "Well, it is exactly what I wanted. But the inevitiablilty is what's keeping me from enjoying it fully. It's like watching a movie after a couple viewings, it loses it's shock value once you've seen it enough times to know exactly what's going to happen next. But then again, like some of the more exciting movies... It just keeps getting better and better with each viewing." Yggdrasil pondered what Grima had said to him, and nodded in agreement. "Oh yes, I completely understand my lord! It's just that, with your muliple viewings of this "movie" how do you think it's going to turn out?" Yggdrasil asked Grima who then responded "Simple, there will be some way for Simon to completely close the portal, and cause every single Parasimon to die instantaneously. And then, though there could possibly be casualties it will still be a satisfying motion picture. Something that will cause geeks to instantly forgive the flaws of the picture, and see it for the masterpiece that it is. But then again, it'll all be a setup for future sequels and introductions for other various pictures. Though we all know that many will prefer the original, it's all just a matter of opinion."

Yggdrasil seemed a bit amazed by Grima's logic and applauded him. "That analogy was pretty spot on my lord! I must admit, your knowledge seems to know almost no bounds. And I'm sure when you end the cycle, it will continue to grow!" Yggdrasil said excitedly about his master's wisdom. "Though I don't gain much pleasure in it, I do know that thanks to this body I can see into what I would like to know for the time being. And then, once it's in play I will personally see to it that the Digimon Tamers are wiped clean from the memory of all living beings in the cosmos!" Grima responded to Yggdrasil before continuing to watch what was going on in the crystal ball. "So now, here comes the grand finale. The thing that we've all been waiting for, and the climax of our feature film!" Grima said with enthusiasm before Yggdrasil joined in and watched with equal amount of enthusiasm.

* * *

Back at the action...

The Tamers were fighting their hardest, and it almost seemed like all hope was lost due to the never ending swarm of Parasimon. Lobomon looked up at the vortex and said "I think that we should just destroy the portal all together. That way, at least the parasimon we eliminate will be in a limited number!" Gallantmon sighed and face palmed "Seriously! Why didn't I think of that!? Though that could have been thinking that there was a limited amount so... Here goes nothing." Gallantmon said before using a mode change to become Crimson mode. Gallantmon then equipped Gungnir on him and flew straight into the vortex. "What's Simon doing?" Sakuyamon asked Lobomon who responded "He's gonna end this thing right about now-ish." Once Gallantmon entered, he flew straight up and carried enough momentum needed for Gungnir to do damage. " **TANK MISSILE!** " Both Simon and Gallantmon yelled at the same time before firing Gungnir at the vortex and caused a chain reaction that ended up killing every single parasimon in the city. Everybody looked up in awe at the crimson pillar of light, and were completely mystified while noticing all the Parasimon fading away. VictoryGreymon looked on with KingShoutmon and Seraphimon, before saying "Looks like the day was saved once again by our fearless leader..."

Blitzmon and Kiriha looked on and were just as shocked as everyone else. Gallantmon flew back down to the group and greeted them, and said "That was a bit hectic. But still, we kicked butt and hopefully nobody died. Right? Right!?" The others seemed a bit weirded out by Simon's question and didn't get the context. Locomon appeared nearby the train tracks where they were standing. "Can I go home now? I don't wanna stay here no more..." Locomon said before charging into the portal before it completely dissapated. Agnimon and Lowemon appeared before Gallantmon and Agnimon asked "What's that guy's deal? He left just before he could even thank us?" Lowemon sighed and responded "Well, at least for now the world is safe. And hopefully this Yggdrasil creature isn't gonna end up doing anything else for a while." MegaGargomon looked down and said "I hear that Gai!" They all then de-evolved back into their normal selves. Nia gave a quick hug to Erwin who said "Hey don't worry Nia, besides... It's not like I've been too busy as of late. But then again, I do have to get back to the office right about now." Daisuke shook hands with Mr. Asagi and thanked him before they parted. Simon and Kittan both shared a quick hug and the Tamers along with Xros Heart were well on their way to Rika's house.

* * *

"Rika, could you at least try to be surprised?" Simon asked Rika who responded "Not after all that, no." He then shrugged his shoulders and they all shouted surprise anyway. After they were all seated around the large table, everybody ended up haing their food around the table, while Suzie and Rumiko were trying to do some karaoke. "Well, I guess we all have things that we wanna do don't we?" Henry said to himself to which Simon responded "No matter how embarassing it is, we still have these secrets that we might end up blurting out. But the first step to getting over the shyness, is admitting it." Nia looked over at Simon and Henry, while overhearing their conversation and couldn't help but think about what she wanted most of all. Rika was too busy blushing and being shy to really say anything. So she ended up walking out of the dining room. Henry then followed after her, and before Renamon could do anything Simon said "Renamon, this is kind of something they need to do. So let him go to her." Renamon sighed before phasing out of the room.

Henry walked up to Rika while the sun was still set, and said "Rika, I'm sorry if you heard what me and Simon were saying. And I just want you to know that, it's nothing to be ashamed about." Rika looked over at Henry and responded "And why's that Brainiac? Is it really because you know me so well? Or is it because you both pity me?" Henry shook his head and said "No. Neither of us are friends out of pity. It's because we got to know each other, and fight together like most friends do. And no matter what, I'll always be there for you if you need me because... Well, I love you. I know we were already in a relationship beforehand, so I just wanted to make it clear to you how I feel about all this." Henry then sat next to her and held her hand. Rika seemed to understand what Henry was saying, and decided that maybe his shoulder was best to lean on. "Henry... I... I love you too. Just remember, don't mention this to anyone and especially Simon. Alright?" Rika said to Henry who nodded in agreement. And so the two sat there like that, while the party was still going on...

 **つづく**


	29. Bonding Time

The Following is a non-profit Fanfiction. Digimon is owned by Toei Animation, Bandai, Akiyoshi Hongo and licensed by Saban Brands. Please support the official release, by buying the DVDs...

Digimon Tamers Crimson: Knights of Grim Episode 25: Bonding Time...

Inside Yggdrasil's tree...

Grima had felt satisfied by the conclusion the Parasimon invasion yielded. "So this is what you meant by the climax. Interesting, and I guess this means all we do now is wait for two years for our ultimate weapon." Yggdrasil said to Grima who then responded "Oh but of course, it was nothing short of enjoyment. Soon I will find my way into this world, and show that it had no chance of defeating me to begin with. Though the time when I was at the pinnacle of my success had Digimon, humans had their memories wiped clean of having any connection. Though it seems that it didn't stop children from having actual dreams of these creatures. Which then gave me a revelation... What if both humans and Digimon were to be subjugated to my power? And that, is where I had the intial idea to place my power into you my loyal servant." Yggdrasil thought about the memory and then said "Oh yes, at first I was unable to comprehend you. But now I see that, even I can see you as the powerful deity like figure that you are." Grima looked over at Yggdrasil who then immdiately quivered in fear, due to possibly saying something he shouldn't have said.

"I know that I'm no god. But it's those who are loyal to me that grant my power. So in a way, I am a deity but I know that even I can be killed. It's only a matter of by who's hand? Will my own arrogance be my downfall? Or... Will that anomaly be the one to end me? Either way won't really matter. Since now I can see that victory will be achieved either by the established script that I've followed through this cycle. And this time, there will be no repeats. No anomalies to stop me, no Digimon to rise up against me in a rebellion and no more humans to dream about these frivolous things." Yggdrasil then bowed to Grima and responded "Yes Lord Grima! Soon our true desire will be fulfilled! And then, we shall move on to a new world, where that race shall be the one to supply you with untold amount of power!" Grima felt very happy about Yggdrasil's enthusiasm and walked towards his soldier. "Now remember Yggdrasil... You... Are my number one... Guy!" Grima said to Yggdrasil while breathing awfully close to his face. Yggdrasil merely smiled and responded "Yes my lord..." Before walking off and heading towards the base of the tree. "Truly I couldn't ask for a more loyal follower than Yggdrasil. Once the tree has accumulated enough power, he will be so powerful that not even this new form of Omnimon could destroy him. So... What will you do Simon? What will you do in the face of me and Yggdrasil?" Grima said to himself before sitting back down on his throne.

* * *

In the human world...

At least one week had passed since the Parasimon incident. Though the citizens were still recovering from the trauma of being groped by several tentacles, they were grateful towards the Digimon who had saved them from this clear threat. Nia had turned sixteen like Simon did during the beginning of July. Though Simon decided to pay her back by blindfolding her, and walking her back to her house. She seemed a little mad at Simon, but in the end she felt that at least they were now even. Guilmon and Renamon had decided to get somewhat closer during this week, by spending some of their days either by playing or training. Though it would seem that, there was something lingering in them. They may have gotten their feelings sorted out, but there was one thing that seemed to be left for them to do to complete this connection of theirs. Rika seemed to feel a bit more relaxed with telling Henry about her feelings, and saw that he was more than willing to listen to every word she said. Though at times she would visit his apartment, so that she could see what he was into. Though when Henry wasn't using the computer, she decided to use it for drawing pictures. When he asked her why, it was because deep down she wanted to be a Manga artist.

Though if she were to get some practice on Henry's computer she could be able to pull that off. Daisuke had decided to do things on his own, and so did Hikari mostly because the two wanted to try and be a bit more... Independant. Daisuke had decided to do some soccer practice with V-Mon, who couldn't really get over the fact that his Tamer was more interested in doing things alone for now. Hikari wasn't really getting it easy on her end, due to Taichi still trying to pry into her and Daisuke's relationship. But then she countered with the whole "Aren't you supposed to be studying right now?" argument, which immediately prompted Taichi to continue with his studies. Takeru had decided to spend a few days with Taiki and Kiriha, hoping that maybe he'll be an honorary member of Xros Heart as well as being one of the Digimon Tamers. Though Takeru seemed to forge a friendship with Taiki, that wasn't as strong as the one he had with Kiriha, but pretty darn close. Ken had decided to look through some of his clothing to find a grey trench coat, a hat and some grey pants. He had wanted to see if he could pull off a detective since he felt inspired by the work that the police do, along with the Digimon Tamers when they're not off destroying an enemy Digimon.

Though with Nia, she seemed to be somewhat preoccupied with a phone conversation Erwin was currently having. "Alright Nia, the bad news is that, since our relatives are far away from Japan I think it's a safe bet that you'll need to stay with someone for tonight until tomorrow afternoon." Erwin said to Nia after hanging up on the phone. Nia then seemed to think for a while on who could take care of her, while Erwin was out. "Well, how about I stay with Simon? I mean, I know that he's a guy and all that. But he's still a gentleman at best." Nia suggested to Erwin who looked at Impmon who said "Yeah, I think that's probably our best option anyway, since I'm sure the others might have plans and it doesn't really hurt." Erwin sighed and put a hand on her shoulder. "Now listen Nia, I don't mean to leave you in such a hurry. But that doesn't mean I don't care about you. I just want what's best for you, and I want to make sure you're ready for the life of a police officer. And yes, I do trust Simon since he's been able to protect you for nearly two years now." Erwin said to Nia who responded "Don't worry dad, I'll be fine! Just have a good time with your police friends, and do try to make sure Impmon doesn't get into trouble!" Erwin nodded and said "Will do Nia. And I love you..." They both hugged each other and Nia got her overnight bag all packed up.

Later on, she had described to Simon that Erwin and Impmon were going to a meeting that would take all night, and head into the afternoon tomorrow. "And that's the gist of it. I'm staying here with you, and for now there isn't anybody else who has a spare room available." Nia said after finishing that long recap. Simon sighed and responded "I'll go get the futon. Just come on in..." He then walked into the apartment and grabbed some sheets out of his closet and put them near his bed. "Alright, just so you know I'm getting the floor, and you are getting the bed okay?" Simon said to Nia who nodded and put down her overnight bag. "So Simon, where's Guilmon?" Nia asked Simon who answered "He's currently with Renamon, who he finally admitted to having a crush on. They're probably going to be doing this thing called bonding time, which supposedly seals the connection between the two. So yeah, for now I'm by myself and my dad's still down a floor, waiting for me to do or say anything angsty." Nia then looked through Simon's refridgerator and said "Well, we could always just sit down and watch a couple movies. How's that?" Simon gave Nia a hug and a kiss before responding "But of course! Though, we'd have to go through my collection of movies and some of the stuff on netflix." Nia nodded enthusiastically before looking through the film library...

* * *

Meanwhile with Guilmon and Renamon...

The two were sitting inside the storage room for the park. Though, in this case it's more of a small burrow rather than a storage room. But at the very least no one has used it in years. Guilmon was somewhat curious as to how "Bonding time" would work. So Renamon decided to explain it to him. "All I know is that, it requires the two of us to spend some time together and something about, streams of data. After that, I'm not too sure about that. Then our bond will finally be complete." Guilmon wasn't entirely too sure what she meant by all this, but he was somewhat reassured by the fact that Renamon seemed to be just as unaware of the workings of this bonding time. When Renamon sat next to Guilmon, a stream of data flowed from Guilmon as well as Renamon before connecting to each other. "Is this what you meant?" Guilmon asked Renamon who suddenly felt fatigued by the event. Guilmon wanted to ask if she was okay, but then felt equally as fatigued. "I guess... This is part of the process." Renamon says while panting. Guilmon starts panting as well and responds "Are we gonna die from this!?"

Renamon shook her head and answered "If Digimon actually died from this, then we wouldn't even know about the term. I had wanted to do this, because I wanted to be a part of you." Guilmon looked over and held Renamon's paw. "Honestly, I'm just reassured by you being here with me now. Love, is quite a new territory for me. And I wanted to explore some of that concept with you, as I've accepted my feelings for you." Guilmon said to Renamon before laying his head on top of hers. The two then stayed like that, until eventually they fell asleep. Guilmon was still right next to Renamon who was leaning right on Guilmon's shoulder. Unbeknownst to them, the streams of data were converging. Instead of converging in front of them, it went underground. Which at first, seemed to be a strange idea but then it will likely sprout out of the ground once it is done. The result of their bond may prove that Digimon can have the same type of feelings as humans, only in their case it just ends up merely being a somewhat subdued moment between two Digimon. Deep down, they were both scared of what would come as a result but went through with it anyway because of their shared feelings for each other. And that, surely would never die just from one mere stone in their path. Whatever choices they make now, they will both be walking down the same path. A path towards a better future for the both of them. Though, how they would react... Is entirely up to their own judgement.

* * *

Back with Simon and Nia...

Simon had gotten through watching a few movies with Nia, who seemed to have some genuine enjoyment for the movies in question. Though around that time, Simon had decided that he was going to go to bed. Mostly due to the fact that crime had been relatively low and at the very least he did deserve some form of a break. Nia had decided to run the shower while Simon sat and waited for her to come out. At this point he was still wearing a black sleeveless shirt with black jeans. "Today just feels like a really weird day. First, Guilmon goes off with Renamon for something I didn't even know Digimon could do. And second, Nia shows up saying that she has to stay in my apartment building. I wonder what the third factor of my wacky day would be?" Simon said to himself before he saw the answer before his eyes. Nia, wearing what appeared to be a long nightgown. "Well Simon? What do you think?" Nia asked Simon who answered "You look beatiful in that. Though I pictured you as the kind of person who would stray away from that sort of thing." Nia shrugged her shoulders and responded "Well, at least it's comfortable. And the only people to see me in this, are Dad, Impmon and you. Though to be fair the first official time we've met, I walked around in a hospital gown."

Simon sighs at the memory. "You know, it's things like this that tell me a lot has happened back then. And a lot could happen in the near future. It's been something on my mind from the moment we defeated Vamdemon. It's like, what if all of this was just building up to a big failure, or some... Ultimate sacrifice I don't know. And at the very least, I could probably experience it with the people I care about most of all. I just wish that, these things could be simple and not time based. Since I'm getting sick of all the anticipation leading up to us fighting Grima and whatnot." Simon says to Nia who, after listening intently feels pratically the same way. Only, she wishes to express that in a different way. "Simon?" Nia asks Simon who turns to her and says "Yes?" Nia then says to him "Close your eyes..." Simon shrugs his shoulders and decides why not? As he's closing them, he doesn't realize that Nia has decided to roll up his sleeveless shirt... Until he feels the shirt come off of his head. "Nia, what are you doing?" Simon asks Nia who notices that his eyes are open. "Simon, I know that you feel that you might not have regrets... But maybe there might be one regret that you don't know of just yet..."

Simon was quite shocked by Nia's response, and in short he didn't know what else to say. At least until he thought about it. "Nia, this is extremely risky. What if someone catches us doing stuff like this? I don't want our life to be further complicated by people judging us. I just don't want you to have regrets of this deed you want us to do." Simon said to Nia who responded "Simon... I don't think our friends are going to judge us. Also, since when have you given a damn about other students looking at us?" Simon thought about her question and said "Fine... But, I just want you to know that we're both taking responsibility for this right?" Nia nodded and then asked "Why do you say that?" Simon sighed and answered "Because, if someone asks who's fault it is, usually they point to either me or you. I gave some not-so-subtle hints that maybe I wanted to do this with you. And you probably waited for the opportunity to ask me for this. And I say to that, alright." Nia leaned her head on Simon's and said "I love you." Simon then responded "Me too..." Before taking her lips in a passionate kiss. What would happen on that end, is not for the sensitive types.

Outside the apartment complex, Takato and his Guilmon were watching from a distance. They weren't looking at anything in particular, but rather they felt something. It was something that seemed to be important to them, but at the same time it just became a necessity. "Guilmon... I guess maybe today did seem all that important. But it's probably the one good thing about Simon anyway." Takato says to Guilmon who then looks at him with confusion. "Takato... I don't really understand what you mean by that. Hasn't Simon saved the world several times by now? It just confuses me as to why you'd want to do this." Guilmon said to Takato who responded "Guilmon, you of all people should know my reason for wanting to kill that bastard! Don't you feel any resentment towards him?" Guilmon wasn't sure what to say to that, since he didn't know all that much of what happened that made Takato this angry. "It's all because of him... That I'd go through hell. I'll never forgive him! Not now, not ever!" Takato muttered in his anger. Guilmon was still busy looking over at Shinjuku park, feeling very happy about the same night, only on a different side of things. "I'm just really happy about tonight. That's all. Because maybe this night, is probably the best night of our lives..." Guilmon said to himself before sighing out of happiness. The two then decided to continue wandering around Shinjuku...

* * *

The next day...

Simon had woken up the next morning, nearby Nia. "I guess last night wasn't a dream now was it?" Simon asked Nia who shook her head. "Y'know, I wanted to get to "I do" rather than the signal. And now, it feels like everything that happened last night is going to affect us in one way or another." Simon said to Nia who looked towards the window and responded "I guess so. But, what are we gonna do now? We've got both our dads to worry about, and then our friends. It's just that once I thought about it, I realized that maybe I should've been more patient." Simon lifted himself up from the bed and then said "Nia. No matter what happens, I'll always be with you. I don't want this to be our last night together. If I'll still be able to see you again, I want to give you something very important." Nia thought about what that thing was and then responded "Well, you already ruined the surprise from the moment you said that you wanted to wait for me to say "I do". So my answer is still definitely yes Simon. I do want to marry you some day." Simon then embraced Nia and said "Well, the first thing I have to do is get the ring right?" Nia nodded and Simon decided to get out of bed and hit the shower. After a while, Nia ended up getting into the shower when Simon was finished... And the two got changed into their clothes for the day.

"Alrighty then, so if anything comes up... Call me effective immediately. No excuses alright?" Simon said to Nia who nodded before letting Simon walk her back home. She had carried around her overnight bag, and Simon decided to bring his gear just in case some Digimon decided to attack again. Once they had arrived at Nia's house, Erwin greeted her with a hug. "So, how was your day Nia?" Erwin asked Nia who responded "Oh it was fun. Simon was as gentlemen-like as usual and he did all the common courtesy's that most gentlemen would do. We even got to watch a few movies together, and it was the best!" Erwin felt happy for his daughter and Impmon felt something was a bit off with what Nia was saying. Though, in a way... So did Erwin. Simon then waved goodbye before heading towards the park, where he knew Guilmon was. When Simon had entered the park, he headed straight up for the storage room where he knew Guilmon was... And saw that Renamon was still there. Simon walked towards his partner and said "Guilmon, it's time to wake up now." Guilmon jolted up effective immediately and looked frantically. "Did I miss any patrol?" Guilmon asked Simon who shook his head and responded "There wasn't really any crime going on, so yeah it's been very peaceful lately."

Guilmon had decided to stand up and stretch, while Renamon was slowly waking up. "Oh... I didn't know someone was visiting." Renamon said while still a bit drowsy. Simon looked at Renamon and said "Well, just make sure you're fully awake before heading back to Rika's house okay?" Renamon nodded before sitting back down. Guilmon then walked back home with Simon. As Renamon was slowly waking up, she saw that... Something was sprouting out from the ground. After a little bit, she was able to make out the object in question. "That... That can't be..." Renamon muttered to herself, before picking up the object and then said "It's a Digi-Egg!" Before looking around to see if Guilmon was around. She then ran on top of the rooftops in a search for Guilmon. Although, it was cut short... When she realized that she needed to be back home with Rika. She decided to bring the egg with her, and wait until tomorrow to show Guilmon what had happened. When she arrived at Rika's house, she decided to hide the egg nearby the stairs of the porch.

Though, Rika opened the door and caught on to Renamon's actions. "Good morning Rika..." Renamon said to her Tamer who responded "I guess bonding time was a little bit taxing huh? You ended up falling asleep in the park? And now, I see you're home burying something that I'm assuming is the result." Renamon sighed and decided to show Rika up front. "This is the result of my bond with Guilmon. Though, the egg seems to be taking on more characteristics of Guilmon rather than my characteristics. I just wish I could've caught him sooner rather than later." Renamon said to Rika, who then decided to hold the egg for a bit. "When do you think this is due? I mean, it's not like humans... But I've never heard of a Digimon actually breeding." Renamon sighed at Rika's question and answered "Well, I don't know. A Digi-Egg could be due any day of the week. And I don't know what the gestation period of a human being is, since until now I've never done this sort of thing with anyone. So to make a long story short, it's a big I don't know." Rika looks at the egg further and says "Well that seems about right. And you want to meet up with Simon and Guilmon later today to discuss this?" Renamon nods and responds "Yes, I would like that very much." Rika then decides to put the egg somewhere in her room, where she knows her mom, nor grandmother would ever bother to look...

* * *

Meanwhile with Daisuke...

Our Auburn haired Gogglehead had decided to go with his sister to the grocery store. Though, they did decide to bring V-Mon who up till now has never been to a grocery store. "Sho, thish ish where you and Davish go to get more food?" V-Mon asked Jun who was pushing the shopping cart. "Yeah, this is where we usually go. It's just plain old shopping center for quite a number of people in Shinjuku. Though, it just so happens that we can get stuff really easily due to the bargain sales around here." Jun said to V-Mon who seemed to be enthusiastic about looking at the store, while sitting in the shopping cart. Daisuke was just casually walking around with Jun, spotting some of the items they needed on their grocery list. Though their shopping trip was brief, V-Mon felt it was an experience that he never got to see until now. And to him, it seemed a lot longer than just fifteen minutes. Daisuke did glance at some Digimon cards that were near the cash register they went to, but decided to wait until later to purchase some new cards for his deck. As they were walking out with bags in both arms, Jun noticed that Daisuke seemed to be a bit neutral today. "I noticed you were eyeing those Digimon cards earlier. And you know that you gotta earn them right?" Jun asked Daisuke who nodded and responded "Well of course I know that. I just couldn't help it, that's all." Jun then continued down the pathway towards the apartment complex.

"Daisuke, don't forget that you said you'd visit mom and dad today alright?" Jun asked Daisuke who nodded and answered "Well, I just figured that I wanted to introduce them to V-Mon." Jun smiled at Daisuke's willingness to introduce V-Mon to their parents. "Davish, I didn't know your parents lived somewhere else..." V-Mon said to Daisuke who responded "It's not like that V-Mon. I'll show you what I mean." V-Mon was then pondering what could Daisuke possibly mean by that. After unpacking the groceries, Jun had decided to get into her house-keeping getup and meet up with Kittan. "Alright, I'll be back by six tonight! Don't forget!" Jun said to Daisuke before walking out of the apartment. "Alright V-Mon, It's time I got to introduce you to my parents." V-Mon was still confused by what Daisuke meant, as they walked out of the apartment and down the stairs. He seemed to be even further confused when they got to the cemetary. "Sho, Davish... Where's your mom and dad?" V-Mon asked Daisuke who pointed towards a couple graves, and V-Mon then immediately understood what they meant.

Daisuke left some flowers and said a little prayer before having V-Mon go up. "Hi there... My name ish V-Mon. And I'm Davish's partner. Or rather, Digimon partner. We go on all shortsh of adventuresh and I'm even a player on the school'sh shoccer team. Coming here might make me a bit depressed once I shaw your namesh... But I can shee now why Davish and shome of the othersh do it too. It'sh because it makesh them feel better, knowing that... You're probably watching from up above or shomething. Sho, resht in peace... And maybe I'll come to shee you again another time." V-Mon said to the graves while shedding a few tears. Daisuke was holding V-Mon in his arms and rubbed his back to comfort the blue mon. "Don't worry V-Mon, I still feel the same way. Every time I come here, even with Jun." Daisuke said to V-Mon who then asks "Doesh it get any easier?" Daisuke nodded and responded "With time, it does. But the pain is still there, like a scar." V-Mon then looks down and asks "Like your bullet wound right?" Daisuke nods and then walks with V-Mon back home. "At least when we get home, you'll be having another delicious bowl of noodles. With your name on it." Daisuke said to V-Mon who was still hugging Daisuke.

Hikari had seen Daisuke passing by, while spending time with Taichi... Who was busy looking for something in the book store. "Hey Kari, could you stop gawking at your boyfriend and help me with these textbooks? It's just that, you know I need these for school, If I'm ever going to have a future outside of my apartment building." Taichi said to Hikari who came over to Taichi and responded "Oh quit being such a crybaby Tai. I still have to study for an entrance exam this year too you know. And Ken was actually the one to offer to help, since they figured I'd probably get too distracted with Davis. Also, you know it's almost August right? Which means you have to prepare for almost an entire month. And when you pass the test, Mom said she'll celebrate along with the others. Hell, I think she even sent for a senior year school uniform." Taichi was a bit overwhelmed by the information that Hikari was giving him, and then he noticed that she mentioned a school uniform. "Wait, what do you mean by uniform?" Taichi asked Hikari who answered "Oh you'll see..." Before walking with a few of Taichi's textbooks in her hands. Taichi felt frustrated that his own sister would hide that kind of secret from him. "I bet it's just some prank she and mom cooked up, just to make me look like an idiot." Taichi said to himself while carrying the rest of his textbooks...

* * *

Later...

Simon and Henry ended up going to Rika's house today. And that was mostly because, Renamon wanted Guilmon over. Simon was somewhat curious about what sort of things happened during the bonding time last night. Though he didn't want to pry out of the large amount of respect for Guilmon. Henry was here, since he and Rika were trying to spend more time with each other. At least before school starts in little over a month. Simon was drinking some fresh tea that Seiko made for the two. "I'm sorry Rumiko couldn't join us. She got caught up in more work, so for now it's just us." Seiko pointed out for the group. Rika seemed a bit frustrated when it came to hanging out with Henry, due to not being able to get time alone. When they were alone, Simon and Seiko decided to have a chat. "So then, how long before they come out and say it?" Seiko asked Simon who responded "I give them about a week. 4 days at minimum." Seiko giggled a bit at Simon's response. "I guess the core team, and two others have someone to get together with. With Henry and Rika dating in secret from the others, me and Nia being public along with Davis and Kari. But it just feels like things have been going too well lately. I mean in the sense of, hardly any tension between us... With only a few exceptions and there not being a monster attack." Simon said.

Seiko sipped some of her tea and responded "Well why not enjoy the peace while it's still here? You can't always be on your toes all the time. You need to relax, sit down for a bit... And maybe as Rika would sometimes say stop being a stick in the mud." Simon then said "Problem with that, is I'm a vigilante at night and there might be a bit more at stake later on this year. So forgive me if I'm being too serious. I'm trying to lighten up, and have fun with my friends. And I wanna make sure that the fun times don't ever end, even when we end up far apart." Seiko sighed and looked into Simon's eyes. "I see they still have that hint of burden from the night I met you. It's quite heavy isn't it?" Seiko said to Simon who responded "I think the best part is that, at least I don't have to carry that alone. I have friends and a Digimon partner to support me through these battles. And help lighten the load." He then felt a little shame in that sentence and said "Sorry. I didn't mean to make it sound selfish. It's just that, I'm not that used to having friends my own age." Seiko then sipped her tea again and responded "It's fine. Your friends still seem to speak very highly of you. And don't worry, they'll be here to help you in case you have problems." Simon smiled and said "I know that. And I've learned from my mistakes. I'll always put faith in my friends." The two then just sat there, and continued to have a casual conversation.

Renamon and Guilmon were walking around the house, looking for something important. "Renamon, what did you want to show me?" Guilmon asked Renamon who sighed before revealing yellow egg with black stripe patterns on it. "Where did you find that? I know we didn't go to the Digital World last night." Guilmon asked Renamon who then answered "Guilmon, this is our egg. It must be the result of the bonding time last night. We've created something with our own data. This is probably our child Guilmon, though I think this egg is more of your coding rather than mine." Guilmon was very shocked to see this, and then said "Renamon, I need a little bit to take this all in." Renamon nodded and put the egg down in front of him. Guilmon looked down at the egg, and after a while of looking at it he decided to cradle it in his arms. "Don't worry little baby... I'm gonna be the best daddy ever!" Guilmon said while holding the egg. He then leaned his head on the egg, to see if there is any heartbeat inside it. And there was, and that was all he needed to be soothed. Renamon sighed at Guilmon, having this instinct on him and thought to herself "He may be a child... But at the very least, he is probably one of the most adult out of any of us." She then walked over to Guilmon and cuddled with the two.

Rika and Henry were sitting across from each other, wondering what to do now that they're alone. "So, I take it that you've been busy with all that studying for school next year?" Rika asked Henry who responded "Well you know me. I've been accepted into a few honors classes, along with Ken. So I gotta keep up the studies, while practicing martial arts and helping Suzie with her hopeful acting career since she's finally going to high school with us." Rika snapped her fingers and said "Oh yeah! I completely forgot about that! She's gonna be a Freshman this year, and she's probably been working as hard as you have this summer." Henry scratched the back of his head and responded "What can I say? It's been a long summer with all these attacks, and I'd like to take the time to work on improving myself." Terriermon meanwhile seems to be snoring in the distance, due to his boredom with Rika and Henry's conversation. "Speaking of improving... I need to see if I can draw a good picture of the two of you." Rika said before pulling out her sketchbook from underneath the steps. "Really? But, wouldn't it be better if you used your imagination?" Henry asked Rika who shook her head. Henry sighed before getting a sleeping Terriermon in a funny post with his ears standing up. Rika immediately went to work on this. After a while, she finally got finished and Henry put Terriermon back onto the floor... Where he landed with a small thud.

"Geez! Next time warn me!" Terriermon said waking up. "Hey! What'd she draw of me Henry!?" Terriermon asked his tamer in an angry tone of voice. Rika then showed Terriermon who gave Henry a glare. "Oh Momentai little brother. Besides, she just did that to improve her art skills. Which is why she comes to the dojo whenever I practice." Henry said to Terriermon who started to calm down. "Well at least she made it look great. I just pray that she doesn't use those skills to draw faces on me!" Terriermon said to the two of them. Rika seemed to take that thought into consideration, but Henry raised an eyebrow at Terriermon. "Also Henry, remind me why you two refer to yourselves as siblings?" Rika asked Henry who responded "Well... After Terriermon lost his older brother, I thought that maybe I should be the adopted big brother." Terriermon then jumped onto Henry's shoulder and said "And that's why I'm the little brother. It's just that, I'm still new to the whole human sibling thing. But at least Henry here makes it easy for me." Rika then hugs Henry, while Terriermon gets off his shoulder. "Well, be glad that I know where this is going." Terriermon said before turning away from the hidden couple. "Henry, if we tell anyone about this... It'll just be our friends. Besides Simon, who already knows." Rika said to Henry who started petting her head. "Hey now, don't worry. Unless things get hectic, we could easily keep this a secret. Just be your usual self, and I'll be my usual self." Henry responded to Rika who smiled and poked him in the nose.

"You certainly know how to cheer me up. Just remember not to say anything, otherwise..." Rika started to say but then Henry finished "Otherwise, you'll do something horrible to me or Terriermon, gotcha." Rika sighed and said to herself "Am I really that predictable?" As Henry was walking back to where Simon and Seiko were. As Simon was about to leave, Guilmon came to him and said "I gotta tell you something important at the apartment." Simon sighed, knowing that he'd have something important as well. "Well, I guess that makes two of us." Simon responded to Guilmon as they walked out with Henry and Terriermon. Seiko looked at Rika as they were waving goodbye and asked "Enjoy your alone time with Henry?" Rika blushed a bit and said "So you knew huh?" Seiko patted her on the head and responded "You do make it pretty obvious. Though some people will see you being a bit mean to him, your true friends and family will see through that quite easily. So, I believe that confession about your relationship might be easier knowing that." She then walked into the kitchen to brew up something for lunch...

* * *

One month later...

It seemed that this month came and went by so quick that not even our heroes really noticed. Although, recently Simon's been quite weary nearby Nia. As though he knows something might've happened during that night. Impmon and Erwin were still a bit worried about Nia, though they didn't really express anything regarding that opinion. Taichi was dreading the test in a couple days, while Hikari was waiting patiently for what would come in the mail. Suddenly, there was knocking on the door. "I'll get it!" Yuko said before opening the door to see Simon with at least two packages. "Delivery for Mrs. Kamiya." Simon said to Yuko who then took the packages and put them on the couch adjacent to Taichi and Hikari. "Alright kids, open them up and tell me what'cha think!" Taichi then made a gesture to Hikari and said "Ladies first." Hikari then made a similar gesture and responded "Nah, I think you'd better open yours up first." Taichi sighed and went to open up his package, knowing that he wasn't going to win an argument against her. What he didn't expect was a blue blazer, buttoned up white dress shirt and black dress pants. "So, this is for Davis right?" Taichi asked hoping what he was looking at isn't true. Everyone shook their heads and Taichi said "I mean, how could this possibly be mine? It's not like it has my name on it or anything indicating it!"

Simon went up to Taichi and said "The number indicated on your blazer tells me that you're a senior." Taichi then looked at the collar and noticed that, yes in fact it was meant for a senior in high school. Taichi then slumped on the couch in despair. Hikari opened up her package and saw her new uniform was almost the same, only the skirt was longer and the number indicated she was going to be a sophmore. "Did you get your new Uniform?" Hikari asked Simon who responded "Yeah I did, and I'm gonna be a Junior along with Nia. Although, Daisuke should be arriving here any moment now..." Daisuke came into the Kamiya apartment as Simon said this and showed off his new uniform. "Wow Davis! You look pretty spiffy!" Hikari said before running up to him and hugging him. "Well, why don't you get changed in your uniform and let's see how you look." Daisuke responded to Hikari who went into her room to change into her new uniform. "So how did Tai take the news?" Daisuke asked before looking over at Taichi slumped over the couch. "Is he gonna be okay?" Daisuke asked Simon who responded "Give him a minute, and then he'll be up and at em." Taichi looked over and saw Daisuke in a school uniform. "Great, you're in on this too aren't you?" Taichi asked Daisuke, who shook his head.

Hikari had come out of her room with her new uniform. "Well, how do I look?" Hikari asked everyone. Daisuke then answered "Like a beautiful angel..." Yuko sighed and said "I was gonna say that! But still you look beautiful honey." Hikari blushed a little and responded "Well, how about we get Taichi in his school uniform and take a picture together?" Yuko snapped her fingers and said "I'll go get my camera!" Simon and Daisuke then pushed Taichi into his room, with his uniform. Taichi looked down at his uniform and said "You've got to be kidding me! It's not even the first day of school, and I have to wear this crap! Just for a picture!" He then sighed before deciding to get changed. Simon had decided to change in their bathroom, since he had his uniform on his person before he came into the apartment. Both of them came out at the same time, and Taichi wasn't too sure about the neck tie. "Hold on..." Daisuke said before immediately getting Taichi's neck tie all done. "Great, and I thought my neck was free from this uniform. Now I gotta wear this?" Taichi said before he was pulled in by Hikari for the group picture.

Simon stood next to Taichi, since he was the tallest of the group while Daisuke stood in front of Simon and Hikari stood in front of Taichi. "Alright everyone, say cheese!" Yuko said while holding up the camera for everyone to look at. After the picture was taken, Taichi was messing around with the neck tie... Just to remove it. "Oh, stupid neck trap! That's what they should've called you!" Taichi said before entering back into his room to change back into his normal clothes. "Don't forget to hang up the uniform!" Yuko said to Taichi who responded "Okay mom!" Before closing the door. "So Simon, you going to Nia's house to see how she looks in her new uniform?" Hikari asked Simon who responded "Considering it's about the same as mine, I'd say yes." Although, as Simon was saying this... His phone started to vibrate. "Hold on, I gotta take this." Simon said before walking out of the apartment building. "What's up Nia?" Simon asked Nia, on the other side who responded "It's... A positive. I felt really sick today, and I wanted to check just to make sure and-" Nia was cut off for some reason which made Simon really uneasy. "Nia! What happened!?" Simon asked Nia, but heard Erwin answer "Simon, I would like to hear your explanation for all this. I'm not mad at you. But that will all depend on your answer." Simon sighed and said "Hold on, let me get my dad." Before hanging up the phone and heading for Kittan's apartment.

* * *

Meanwhile, at the Esthiem residence...

Nia was breaking down in tears, because she feared that she'd never see Simon again. "Nia, don't worry yourself. I'm not mad at you. I'll do everything I can to support you, and I'm sure Simon will too." Erwin said to Nia who looked up and asked "You mean it?" Erwin nodded and hugged his daughter. "I swear on my life." Erwin answered Nia. Impmon was holding what Nia was holding to confirm her suspicions. As they were heading downstairs, Impmon then asked "I don't get it, why is she making a big deal out of this thingy?" Erwin then took the object in question and responded "It's because that's a pregnancy tester. And right now, it's positive. In other words... She's going to be a mother." Impmon seemed to be further confused and then asked "So... If she's supposed to be the mother... Then who's the daddy?" Erwin answered "It should be obvious to you my little friend." Impmon took a bit before putting two and two together. "Now I gotta ask another question, where's the egg?" Impmon asked Erwin who responded "She has to carry the "egg" inside her. For nine months." Impmon then shrugs his shoulders and says "That doesn't seem practical at all. I mean, wouldn't it be better to care for the egg outside?" Erwin sighs and responds "Well, the child would be better protected in the mother rather than outside where anyone could easily crack it." Impmon then decides to stop questioning this.

"Alright, now we wait for Simon to get here and explain." Erwin said to Impmon before he sat down on a chair in the living room. Simon had entered the house with Kittan who seemed to be very mad at Simon. "You couldn't wait until marriage huh? You just had to be like most high schoolers who don't even know half the shit they spew out! You damn well better have a good explanation for this!" Kittan was ranting at Simon before taking deep breaths in front of Erwin. "I see that Kittan has already expressed how he feels about this. Now why don't you tell me what happened that night?" Erwin said to Simon who sighed before responding "Well, How do I say this kind of thing without angering someone? I was just going to sleep on a futon, but I guess both of us didn't want to have any regrets before fighting in what could probably be our final battle. And honestly, I really wanted to wait until the I do part. Not for the signal. And I swear to you, and Nia that... I'll do whatever it takes to be a responsible parent. I've already got a part time job at the Matsuki bakery, so for now that's a start. And I'm hoping to probably get some more jobs later down the road-" Erwin stopped Simon and said "For now, don't worry yourself. I already said that I'd help my daughter. And by extension you."

Simon looked at Erwin and responded "I thought you'd be absolutely furious with me. Don't you want me to stay away from Nia? And never talk to her again?" Erwin sighed and said "I may be furious with you, but I know that if I forced you away from my daughter, then that wouldn't be the right solution to the problem. And since I see that you're willing to take responsibility, I can understand how must be feeling right now." Kittan looks at Simon and says "I'm gonna be mad at you for a while. Just don't screw it up okay?" Simon salutes Kittan before Nia had finally decided to come down to see Simon. "Nia, your father and I were just finishing a discussion and I-" Simon was saying before Nia went up and hugged him. "I'm so sorry Simon... I didn't mean... To make you do that..." She said in between her sobbing. Simon returned the hug and responded "Nia, it's not your fault. It was my fault. I should've never hinted at that sort of thing, and now we're gonna end up parents at sixteen years old! But don't worry, I'm gonna do everything I can to make sure whatever comes out of there... Is gonna have a fantastic life! You'll see." After a little bit, the two decided to part ways while Kittan and Erwin continued their conversation.

"I'm very surprised Erwin. This is the first time I've seen you be so lineant towards something like this. I would think that you'd be done with Simon. So what's up?" Kittan asked Erwin who responded "Tell me something, what would you do in Simon's position?" Kittan thought about the question and answered "I honestly don't know. I've never had this problem with Clara, well due to us simply being in a nice budding relationship. I just wish that, the threat that Simon was talking about... Didn't have to be real. Cause now, they might end up with deep regrets. But I'm glad that at least Simon is trying unlike most teenagers his age. Those people would end up leaving the minute they found this out... And never be seen again." Erwin nodded and then said "I disapprove of this action to begin with at their age. But that doesn't mean I don't want my little girl to be miserable all her life." Kittan then thought about something and responded "Well, this'll make us very young Grandparents." Erwin sighed before pinching the bridge of his nose. "I really hoped you wouldn't say that." He said to Kittan's comment. Impmon then asked "So, there's not only parents... But Grandparents. I thought it was a long line of ancestors or something." The two then looked at Impmon and gave him an explanation of the family tree...

* * *

The Matsuki Bakery seemed to closed for now, due to something happening to their oven. "Hello? Mei? Takehiro? You guys here?" Simon asked when he entered the bakery. Mei had ran up to Simon and gave him a hug. "Welcome back Simon. I'm so glad you could make it today! Now can you help out with cleaning the oven?" Mei asked Simon who then went behind the counter and saw the oven looked like a mess. "I'm guessing business was booming today huh? Oh well, at least now I have a plausible excuse to stay here for a bit." Simon said to Takehiro who seemed a bit confused on why Simon said that. "Well, I suppose you had some news to tell us. So why don't you come out and spill it?" Takehiro responded to Simon who after exiting the oven took a deep breath and asked "How do I put this without you guys giving me judgemental looks?" Takehiro raised his eyebrows and then Simon explained everything to him. Mei, seemed to be eavesdropping on the whole conversation and felt a bit bad for him. "Well, do you have any idea what you might name the kid?" Takehiro asked Simon who thought about the question and responded "Well... Not really. I just was praying that I would be wrong about the whole thing. So, a name wasn't really the first thing that came to mind."

Mei then walked in and asked "Well, do you know the gender?" Simon shook his head and responded "I would have to call a doctor about that kind of appointment. But so far no." Mei then leaned over and whispered something in Simon's ear. "I'll think about that name. But in the mean time, I'd better get back to work. Otherwise, I'd probably end up getting fired." Simon said to Mei before returning to his work. Mei then decided to go back to sweeping the store. "Simon, just remember to be careful. And make sure Nia is careful as well." Takehiro said to Simon who nodded and gave a thumbs up in response. After a while of working in the bakery room, Simon was ready to head back home to Guilmon. However, he seemed to feel someone's presence lingering over him. "Whoever you are, I'd like you to show yourself!" Simon said out loud, hoping to get the person's attention. However, it seems as though Takato was there to greet Simon. "Well, we meet again Shinta... How have things been?" Simon asks Takato who responds "Oh Simon, Simon, Simon... You see, I've been keeping close tabs on you. Ever since your fight with Omnimon, I've been carefully tracking you, determining what you're gonna do next! So, it seems to be a good thing that you're prepared cause I wouldn't ask for less."

Simon then approached Takato and said "Look Shinta, I don't know what your problem is... But I don't want to fight someone like you. You saved my girlfriend, which I cannot express enough gratitude for and you were a fair and honorable warrior. So it's making me feel bad that you want a rematch and you're filled with all this animosity." Takato then responded "Oh, soon. In two years time, you will understand what I mean. After all, I'm just a mere guy who's waiting for the right chance and the right opportunity. So just keep on training, and saving all these people. But soon, your true colors will be revealed. And once they do... I'll be there to smite you..." Takato then walked away into an alleyway. Simon was then left confused at the sight before him. "I swear, that Shinta kid is ridiculous. One minute he saves my girlfriend and helps the others with Tactimon. And the next thing you know, he wants to stab over such a ridiculous notion! I mean, c'mon! I don't even have the hazard anymore, so how could I possibly turn evil!?" Simon said to himself before finally heading back home to discuss this with Guilmon...

 **つづく**


	30. A New Test, A New Year

The Following is a non-profit Fanfiction. Digimon is owned by Toei Animation, Bandai, Akiyoshi Hongo and licensed by Saban Brands. Please support the official release, by buying the DVDs...

Digimon Tamers Crimson: Knights of Grim Episode 26: New test, and New year...

A couple days passed since the revelation of Nia being pregnant. Simon was mulling over what Takato said to him after working at the bakery. He eventually told Guilmon about the whole thing, and Guilmon felt happy that the two of them were both going to be fathers. Simon sighed and continued to ponder the thought. It's just that, he himself wasn't too sure how in what way he'd show his "True Colors". As Takato put it. He would occasionally raise his spiral energy arm up, to look and reflect on it. Maybe to think about what could possibly factor in Takato's sudden hatred for Simon. "So, is this your regularly scheduled brooding period?" Guilmon asked Simon who shook his head and responded "No. It's Shinta. He seems to have all this pent up aggression towards me, and I have no idea why. The only hint he gave me, was that soon my true colors would reveal themselves. And I would probably do quite a lot of bad things. Things that probably make him one pissed off customer."

Guilmon then thought about it and asked "What about his partner Digimon that V-Mon told me about? He doesn't seem all that bad to me." Simon sighed and answered "It's because his Digimon is really nice in comparison to him. The only thing that would give me any sort of hint to who he is, is the fact that he too wields Falchion. Even though we know damn well that, Vulcanusmon was only able to make one of that blade. And it's quite old from what I hear. Yet it has no wear, tear or rust on it." Guilmon then asked "And how do you know it's the same blade?" Simon responded "Because like I said, no other blade has that shape. Although, now there's a clear cut difference. Mine's actually quite bigger. Though, the strangest thing is that he's still walking around in that blue getup. Probably thinking that he might be someone from the old ages." Guilmon then sits down and asks "You mean in the days when Humans and Digimon were aware of one another?" Simon nods and then gets up from the bed to look at his phone's clock. "Well, I guess we better head to the park. So we can meet up with the others and tell them what's going on." Guilmon nodded at Simon's statement and headed out with his Tamer, who brought his metal case just for preparation sake.

Simon had decided yesterday to call the other Tamers to have a meeting. And they all agreed on the park. Koushiro had off from work, so Taichi decided to text him while on a date with Sora. Yamato had decided to spend some more time with Takeru, so he was there when his little brother recieved the text. So in the end, all the currently active Tamers and members of Xros Heart were gathered at the meeting in the park. "Does Simon usually do stuff like this when something important comes up?" Koushiro asked Taichi who responded "No, but he does usually want us to be in the know in some way. Even if it's just through lengthy skype and/or phone calls." Sora was chatting it up with Rika, hoping to have some connection with one of the core Tamers. "So... What do you like to do?" Sora asked Rika who responded "Well, I like the Digimon card game and drawing some Manga artwork. What about you?" Sora thought about Rika's counter and answered "I like to play soccer from time to time, and you're probably going to think this is really girly... But I help my mom out with the plants around her shop." Rika looked over at Sora and said "My mom has tried getting me in the modeling industry, and I've been forced into shopping for new clothes... So don't worry about sounding girly."

Sora smiled at the prospect of someone being very understanding towards her hobbies. "Alright Simon, you've wasted enough of our time just gathering us. So tell us what the big deal is! Are we under attack? Is there some personal issue with you? Or did you want to invite us all to another movie?" Yamato said to Simon who then responded "Alright, I'm gonna rip it off like a band-aid. Nia's pregnant with my kid." Nia felt a little blush creep on her face after Simon said that, knowing it would be embarrassing. Everyone felt shocked that Simon, the normally goody two shoes leader of the team... Got his girlfriend pregnant. "Honestly, I thought my day off from work would be boring but this... This just made it interesting, and awkward at the same time." Koushiro said to break the silence. "I didn't think you had it in you..." Yamato said while recieving an elbow from Sora. "This is some important shit they're talking about, and you have to say that Simon's suddenly become a man in your eyes!? I may not like the guy all that much, but I can see that this really was something important to say." Sora said, though adding a bit of insult to that supposed compliment.

"Thank you Ms. Takenouchi. At least now I know two out of our newest members are at least understanding the importance of this." Simon responded to Sora, while trying to show some respect to her. "Nia, when did you find out about this?" Hikari asked Nia out of concern, and Nia answered "A couple days ago, and I'm likely due in June." Taichi then looked over at Daisuke's general direction, until Hikari slapped him across the face. "I don't want to hear any of your assumptions when we get back home big brother." Hikari said to Taichi who sighed before looking at Simon's direction. "So, I guess you two were a bit too worried about what's probably gonna happen in god knows when?" Henry asks Simon who responded "I guess I might've given hints like that. But I really didn't want this to happen now. I wanted to wait until we were married, so that at least we would be ready for this kind of responsibility. But now, it's just that... I'm a little afraid of this." Takeru then approached Simon while putting a hand on his shoulder. "Dude, what happened to you being our fearless leader? I know this is something to be afraid of, but I know that you would look at this, and see this as just another trial to overcome. And I know for a fact that you can take this on like any other Digimon with apocalyptic powers."

Simon smiles at Takeru's statement and responds "You're right about that. But that doesn't mean I don't have any fears. I'm legitimately afraid for two things. My girlfriend... And the child that's gonna come out of her in eight more months." Ken had walked near Daisuke and said "Y'know that Tai's giving you weird looks right?" Daisuke nodded and responded "I know, and I'm just as worried for Hikari. She's just too kind to end up on a similar boat. Though Nia's very nice, I don't want Kari to feel the same way about everything. Like we could die at any minute, and the only thing we could possibly do is... Do what they did." Ken sighed and said "Yeah. I know. And besides, at least this gives us something to look forward to." Daisuke nodded while Rika, Suzie and Hikari were having a nice conversation with Nia who didn't give any details about that night. But she did tell them about the current feeling, and what she may end up going through. "Can I feel it?" Suzie asked out of curiosity to which Nia nodded and let her feel her stomach. "It's going to get more noticeable in a few months so wait till then."

Simon then looked over at Xros Heart, and wondered what their reactions were. Kiriha seemed a bit neutral to the whole thing, but at least understood what was happening while Taiki was resisting every urge to help her. Shoutmon sighed at his General and said "Way to drop a bomb on us. So if Nia's carrying the baby in her stomach... Where does it come out?" Kiriha sighed before dragging Shoutmon to talk in private. "Taiki, I know it's tempting to provide help for us but there's absolutely no need. Just focus on your studies since your test is gonna be in four days. So get prepped up alright?" Simon said to Taiki who responded "Alright then, I'll do my best." Before trying to look away from the whole situation. "Well I guess that's one way to resist temptation." Kiriha then came back with Shoutmon, who looks like he's heard some distrubing things. "What has been heard, cannot be unheard." Shoutmon said in regards to what Kiriha told him. "So the test's in four days right?" Kiriha asked Simon who nodded before sighing in relief. Taichi then went up to Xros Heart and said "Yeah, you guys are lucky that you only have three years of catch up. I have six years of catch up and that's gonna be one of the worst tests I've ever taken! Although, that would be comparing to fifth grade which was the last year I attended school."

Hikari sighed before sitting down with Daisuke, and holding his hand while Taichi isn't looking. "So you two have to resort to being sneaky purely because of Tai correct?" Ken asked the two who then nodded. "Well considering your brother's paranoia Hikari, I can see why you both have to worry." Ken said to Hikari who responded "I just wish he wouldn't worry about all these things! Just because I happen to be in a very close relationship with Davis, doesn't mean he has to be over protective of me! I'm fine and there's nothing for him to worry about! So why doesn't he just mind his own business?" Daisuke then looked over at Hikari and said "Kari... He just wants to make sure you're safe. He's been stuck in the Digital World for six years, and the first time he sees you in that span of time... Is when you're in a relationship with me. So I can kind of understand where he's coming from." Hikari sighed before looking back at Taichi, thinking that maybe he might have a point. She still felt that, maybe Taichi should let up on the prodding.

* * *

After the group parted ways, the core Tamers decided to stick around and hang out. "So, how hard was it to tell everyone about your "secret" relationship with Henry, Rika?" Simon asked Rika who responded "...Four days." Simon then said "Called it! I just didn't really say anthing about it until then. And besides, you two aren't really that good at hiding it." Rika then punched Simon in the arm. Which wasn't the arm that felt pain. "Um Rika... If you're gonna punch me, it's my left arm." Simon said to Rika who shrugged her shoulders and punched Simon in his left arm. "Okay, there we go." Simon said while holding his arm. "So, now that we've got all our secrets out before the school year... What now?" Henry asked Simon who responded "Hm... Well, I gotta make sure that Nia doesn't do anything to give her pregnancy away until it becomes noticeable." Nia then said "You don't need to worry about that. Dad's already got a plan just in case people do notice." Simon raises his eyebrow and responds "Let's wait until that time comes, and then tell me the details okay?" Nia nodded before sitting down on a bench. "So then, what's going on at school that we could do?" Rika asked Henry who looked at the schedule he got in the mail, which gave him a reminder of the Fall culture festival. "Well, in October there's always a Culture festival, so maybe we could help out with that." Henry suggested to which Simon, Rika and Nia all pondered what they could do. "Y'know what? That actually sounds like a good idea! We could maybe do something in this for once!" Simon said to Henry who felt a bit cheered up.

Rika then went to Nia and whispered a plan to Nia. "Well, we're just gonna go and find Kari now... So we'll see you guys later!" Nia said to Simon and Henry, who waved goodbye to them. "So, what do you think the girls are up to?" Henry asked Simon who responded "Probably going to do something like killing giant crabs in the ocean." Henry seemed very skeptical of Simon's suggestion. "Well, that's a very womanly thing to do. Kill giant crabs in the ocean and kick all kinds of ass." Henry then raised an eyebrow at Simon's statement, which caused Simon to slump and say "Yeah, they're probably gonna just talk about girly things like their hair or something." He then walked off to the apartment complex with Henry following and carrying Terriermon on his head. Though meanwhile, Nia and Rika were walking in another direction. "So Nia, you wanna invite Kari and Suzie to kill some giant crabs?" Rika asked Nia who already had them on the phone. Nia, after hanging up responded "You don't even have to ask Rika..." Impmon and Renamon followed their Tamers to wherever they were going. "So what are the actual odds of finding one of those in the Digital World?" Impmon asked Renamon who responded "Pretty high actually."

Simon went back home and layed in his bed, at least until the patrol that would likely never happen. "Are we going out on patrol tonight?" Guilmon asks Simon who responds "No, not tonight." Guilmon sighed out of some disappointment. "Y'know Guilmon, I had this theory running inside of me for a while. And I've never been able to let it out until now. Up until this point, I always assumed that women were this ancient race of badass warriors that have yet to awaken to their hidden potential." Simon said to Guilmon, as though confiding into him further. "Simon, what about all those women you'd see on TV? Or those people who would cause your ears to hurt?" Guilmon asked Simon who responded "They were women? I thought those were just some random guys who annoyed me. But now I feel kind of bad." Guilmon then tried to think of another example. "What about Leyte?" Guilmon asked Simon who answered "She's a badass too. You should've seen her back when they were mercenaries! They mowed down a whole bunch of enemy soldiers and she was quite capable with a gun and Hand to Hand combat." Guilmon seemed a bit intrigued by the mercenary stories that Simon was talking about, but then Kittan had entered the room and said "That's nothing! You should've heard the one where we made a spearhead to take out the defenses for the enemy base!"

Simon then relaxed and said "Well Dad, why don't you tell Guilmon the same stories you'd tell me." Kittan nodded and responded "Well, it was a bit of an all-or-nothing gamble. Where me and my friends had to take down a whole troupe of bad guys. We were able to break through their front, but then we found ourselves nearly surrounded. And you know what we did next?" Guilmon seemed very enthusiastic about the answer and asked "What!? What did you do next!?" Kittan then laughed arrogantly and answered "We kicked logic to the curb and worked together to do the impossible! And after a while, we decimated their forces all while not needing to use my spirit's powers. Though, the only thing we needed was our belief in ourselves and in the others. So as long as we had that, we could always persevere through any trials that were thrown at us. And that's what our team stood for. And whenever logic would dictate us to do otherwise, we'd shout-" Simon and Kittan then said the last bit at the same time. "WHO THE HELL DO YOU THINK WE ARE!" Kittan looked over at Simon who then said "And that's always been my favorite parts of the story. I just hope that logic kicking will continue throughout all our days."

Kittan then looked out the window and said "You've been neglecting your vigilante duties these past few weeks... What's been happening lately?" Simon sighed and responded "Apparently according to law enforcement, I've been proven superflous. So, unless I end up utterly joining law enforcement, or a form of government agency... It's hard to really find a reason for me to go out and fight at night. I'm sorry to have to tell you this, but it's like the world doesn't need my alter ego anymore... And that's what scares me the most." Kittan looks at Simon and says "Simon, I understand how you feel. And if there's anything I can do to help, just let me know and I'll be there in a heartbeat. So stay safe, and if you do wanna sneak in a little patrol... Just let me and Leeron know first. We'll be waiting." Before giving him a hug and walking out of the apartment. "I still think that women are action heroes, and this new squad that the police has handling Digimon criminals, as well as normal criminals that have been doing some weird things... Have more than cemented my theory." Simon said before holding up his phone with a text message, telling him the name of the group. "Who are they?" Guilmon asked and Simon responded "It's consisted of all the girls on our team. Nia, Rika, Suzie and Kari. Together they form... Black Rose."

Guilmon then asks "So what do we do now?" Simon then responds "We wait. Until the time has come for us to do anything and save the world, the Shadow Tamer is gonna have to go into a bit of hiding for now." Guilmon sighed and went back to thinking about the egg that he and Renamon created. Wondering what he would have to do to raise a child. Simon sighed and sank into his bed before thinking about the same thing. Unlike Guilmon, he's gonna have a lot to deal with when it comes to Nia. Though, at least when she's at work she has the assistance of the other girls. And she can fare pretty well in a fight, should things go too far south. It's always something to think about, but then again there was a part of Simon that proved to be happy about the whole thing. Happy that now, he no longer has to worry about the burdens of traveling through the night, while relying on cold water to wake him up every morning for school. Now, he can finally relax and stick to training for the catyclismic threat that is bound to hit them in the not too distant future. Whatever happens, he'll make sure to be prepared and fight for his loved ones, and the people who grew to accept him in society...

* * *

Four days later...

The entrance exam for Xros Heart, was held in a Freshman classroom. Taiki, Kiriha and Taichi were all seated separately from each other, due to possible peeking at other people's answers. They all equally sighed in frustration, but Taichi had it worse thanks to him missing six years of school and not three. Outside the school, Agumon and Shoutmon were watching with concern... And Greymon was still in Kiriha's Xros Loader and Shoutmon put it in front of the window, just so he could get a front row seat. "I'm confident that once Taichi's done with his exam, he'll be feeling like the world is just a large mountain that he scaled!" Agumon said to Shoutmon who responded "Yeah, Taiki's been studying for days on end along with Kiriha, this'll be over before you know it!" The teacher who handed these out, was none other than Mr. Asagi. Who seemed to have full confidence that the team will succeed and pass the test. They had to go through several sheets of multiple choice questions, as well as several essays and various math problems. It took Taiki and Kiriha at least five hours to finish their exam, and they both handed it in. "Good. Now let's hope that your friend there will finish before night falls." Mr. Asagi said in response to the two of them handing in their tests.

Taichi was still blazing through various questions, determined to answer every question fully and completely. Once he was done, he handed in the papers... Only three hours after Taiki and Kiriha finished. Which was around 3:30 p.m. Mr. Asagi then looked at Taichi's papers and said "I'll need at least until tomorrow to get this all configured. So before then, go home and have yourself a fantastic night!" Taichi sighed in relief before passing out. Taiki and Kiriha thought to carry Taichi all the way through the halls and leave the school. Mr. Asagi already went through Taiki and Kiriha's tests while Taichi was finishing his. "They really must want to be in school again..." Mr. Asagi thought to himself before going on to grade Taichi's papers. When he got back home, he immediately got to work. Taichi meanwhile, was asleep on the couch. Though, Hikari did call him a drama queen for passing out because of school work. "Well mom, at least now you'll know if all your hard work really did pay off!" Hikari said to Yuko who responded "I'm sure that my son will become a senior and he will graduate from high school! It's just that, he needs to get through all this before hand." Gatomon looked over at Agumon who was crying for his Tamer. "Looks like Tai isn't the only drama queen in this house."

Ken had decided to spend some time with Koushiro after his entrance exam, which luckily for Koushiro was another day off from work. "So Ken, I gotta ask... How did you end up getting put into these honor classes?" Koushiro asked Ken who responded "Well, after a while of actually applying myself to my studies and to constantly bettering myself at school, I got so many high marks that once I got into high school I was bumped into the honor classes. Though, that was mostly because of Davis. He ended up helping me through some tough times, and now here we are." Koushiro then pondered to himself what kind of tough times Ken was put through. But decided not to pry any further, in case it gets too personal for him. "So Izzy, how has your job been?" Ken asked Koushiro who responded "It's been going pretty good lately. But at least in two days I'll be back onto work for after-school shifts. So far, work has been very irregular with it's schedule. But sooner or later I'll be back on the regular school/work schedule." Wormmon was sitting on the top of the park bench where the two tamers were currently. While Tentomon seemed to be looking at Wormmon in curiosity. "I know that we've gotten to know each other for months... But how long have you been with Ken?" Tentomon asked Wormmon who responded "It's almost going to be a year now. So, I hope that it'll be special between the two of us partners."

Tentomon then pondered what he and Koushiro could do after a year of partnership. "Well, I was curious about this culture festival that your human partners talked about. What's it about?" Tentomon asked, only for Koushiro to answer "Well, it's basically something that the school does for three days a year. The clubs get together and put out attractions for the other students to see. And even some of the classes get in on this action. Though there is one particular event in question, that does raise some eyebrows." Tentomon then asks "And what's that Izzy?" Koushiro sighed and responded "The so-called beauty pageant. Except instead of it being for women... It's for guys. And there's another one that's a cross-dressing pageant, where the girls have to try and look the manliest." Tentomon then pondered why any girl would want to do something like that. "It's pure schmuck bait. Something one of the clubs came up with, just to mess with all the guys in our school. I'd think sooner or later, someone will get the hint and just not sign up for it at all." Koushiro then looked at his bag, and looked through his notes for this upcoming year.

It would seem like for the two honor students of the group, they would be attending practically every honor class together, with the exception of Physical Education. Ken had looked at his watch and realized it was 4:30. "Oh crap! I gotta get back home, Mom's not gonna be too happy if I stay out after dark!" Ken said before grabbing Wormmon and running straight back home. "His mom must have a pretty strict schedule..." Koushiro said before looking through more of his notes. Tentomon nodded and responded "Well, at least we know that your mom doesn't expect us home until later. So, why don't we see how you look in your new uniform?" Koushiro then packed his notes back into his bag and said "Alright, let's go see what's up." Before heading home with Tentomon. When Koushiro did get home, he was greeted with his mother praising him for his likely passing of his entrance exam. After hugging it out with his mom and dad, he headed back up to his room with Tentomon to get a good look at the uniform. "Huh, so this is what it feels like to be one year from graduating. Well at least it looks pretty good." Koushiro said before trying it on. He went down to show his parents, and see what they thought. "Aww, Izzy that looks perfect on you!" Mrs. Izumi said gushing over the uniform in question. "Yeah! You're looking pretty suave there! You might even score with the ladies!" Mr. Izumi added.

Though Koushiro blushed and responded "Well, it's not that I don't want to. It's just that..." Mrs. Izumi then said "It's okay if you miss Mimi. I'm sure she'd love to call you up and have a chat." Koushiro sighed and looked at a picture on his phone. On there, was supposed to be a picture of the two having a nice, friendly moment... Only for Mimi to kiss him on the cheek, causing him to blush in embarassment. That, was a few years ago. During the days when Mimi was still in Japan, only to move when her parents felt like Japan was starting to get a bit too dangerous. "Thanks mom. I kind of needed that." Koushiro said before anticipating dinner. Tentomon seemed to be helpful in some manner, which was by charging any electronic equipment such as cell phones. Doing that, taught him how to control his electro shocker's power. After dinner, Mrs. Izumi thought to get a family picture with everyone, including Tentomon. That felt like a commemoration to Tentomon for being in this family for a few months and being Koushiro's protector. And yes, Koushiro can still see Digi-code from time to time, which is something he records in a separate notebook from his school notebooks. All the tamers were anticipating the first day of school...

* * *

A couple weeks after the first day...

The team seemed to be doing different things around the school, just to prepare for the culture festival in October. On the first week, Simon felt a bit of paranoia for wearing white. When asked why, he responded "It's simply an American holiday known as Labor Day. And after that day, you shouldn't wear white. At least, that's what my dad told me." The others felt like laughing at Simon's paranoia over something so silly. He seemed confused as to why everyone was just laughing at his paranoia. "Well, usually my theories are somewhat correct... But why be skeptical about this one?" Simon asked the group. Koushiro then answered "No offense Simon, but your notion that wearing white after Labor Day is a bad thing kind of makes us feel skeptical." Taichi then adds "And what proof do you have of that?" Simon ponders both questions and says "Well... I just want to believe that there might be some merit in what people say. Even if it's a lie. You know I was born in America until I came to Japan right?" The others nodded and Simon then said "Well, that was where I got that little notion. So yeah, every year I went to school I got the idea to wear a different color to school after Labor day. Though, I don't think that applies to every other day after Labor day. So yeah."

And that was just one of the various stories that went on throughout the year of high school. Taichi had passed surprisingly, and felt very proud of himself and Xros Heart. Though the uniform, he could do without. The moment he saw Hikari in a skirt, he immediately objected to that idea. Since it made her desirable to most depraved students. Daisuke is luckily there for her at a moments notice, though that didn't mean he was immune to the girls' chatter about him being a supposed stud. It was mostly due to his physique and his tanned skin. Which sometimes made him feel embarassed, since the tanned skin just happened to be after one day of accidental sun tanning. So now, every day of his life he has to look at his permanently tanned skin. This didn't mean he couldn't go out and do fun things, it's just that people would end up looking at him thinking he's naturally tan. Hikari was mostly on the adorable factor. As well as being surprsingly pretty, and sometimes when she comes by to bring Daisuke some lunch for soccer practice, the team would suddenly be in high spirits... Much to Daisuke's displeasure. Simon and Nia were beginning their Junior year, while the vast majority of the gang began Sophmore year, Suzie starts out as a Freshman this year. And Taichi along with Koushiro, Yamato and Sora would all be Seniors.

Rika had some nice moments to spend with Henry, who for the most part was doing a better job at keeping their relationship a secret to all the students outside their circle. Henry was taking a few honor classes with Koushiro and Ken, but he still took most of the average classes most students take. Rika still felt appauled at the skirt she had to wear to school every day, mostly due to Nia not needing a skirt since she always wore men's school uniform. Which she seemed surprised that she'd wear around everyone else... Except for Simon. Taiki and Kiriha were slowly trying to adjust to the fact that, not only are they back in school, but now it's high school. Kiriha found himself with a couple fangirls, that were too shy to really ask him anything when he looked their way. Taiki ended up signing himself up for quite a few of the sports clubs that are in the school. Which included Basketball, Baseball, Track, Kendo and Soccer. Shoutmon felt like fainting after seeing that through the Xros Loader. Luckily for him, Simon and Takeru were part of the basketball team. "Well, Taiki how goes signing up for practically every sports club in this school?" Takeru asked Taiki who responded "Um... How did you guys know about that?"

Simon then played a recording he had of Taiki, which said "I can't turn my back on anyone!" Taiki then realized their answer. "Well, you gotta understand that maybe, just maybe you shouldn't sign up for so much stuff at once! I mean, you're lucky me and Takeru are the only ones present right now, otherwise your teammates would question your reasonings." Simon said to Taiki who responded "Right, it's just kind of hard to do that. I'm used to just being able to do all these things, and then someone comes in and helps me when I almost pass out." Simon and Takeru both look at each other and back at Taiki. "Dude, you can't seriously expect someone to just come in and save you all the time when you're about to pass out from exhaustion." Takeru said to Taiki who sighed and responded "It's not something I like to expect, but it's just something that happens okay? Just watch and you'll see." Simon looks back at Takeru and just says "Okay, now we just gotta wait for the coach to come in along with the rest of the team, who by the way... LIKES TO MESS AROUND IN THE SHOWER!" After Simon yells that, the other teammates come in and just look at Simon out of spite. "You know, just because you suck at the jump shot, doesn't mean you can just berate us whenever you want!" One of the teammates said after arriving to the court...

Simon looked at the group and saw them looking at Taiki. "Who's the new guy?" One of them asked Simon and Takeru. Taiki went up to them and said "My name is Taiki Kudo. And I gotta say, this gymnasium looks really nice!" Simon looked at Takeru who was sighing at the display. "Wow, you are blunt. Hey kid, there's one thing you gotta understand. We just give simple introductions, and we state why we joined the basketball team. No need to compliment the gymnasium or be real passionate about everything." One of the members of the team said to Taiki who responded "Really? You're not all that enthusiastic about doing some sports? Cause, I could've sworn this was fun. I guess maybe it really wasn't." The others seemed like Taiki was directly insulting them. "We'll show you enthusiastic! Ackerman! Takaishi! Let's have some fun!" Another one had said, feeling like Taiki was baiting them into a challenge. Simon looked at Taiki and said "You clever sneak. Nice job, these guys needed a kick in the ass." Before heading over with the team to do some practice drills before the coach showed up. "I see that you all got into gear. Now which one motivated you lazy bums to do something!?" The coach said to the group before everyone pointed to Taiki.

"I'm assuming you're the new guy? What's your name?" The coach asked Taiki who responded "My name is Taiki Kudo and I really wanted to join some sports clubs in this school." The coach looked at the sign up sheet and said "Looks like you're signed up for quite a few clubs in the school. Are you stopping in to see what the buzz is about? Cause you gotta actually choose which one you wanna stay with." Taiki pondered the question and responded "Well I guess maybe I'd want to give this one a go. Though, that's mostly due to me actually having friends in this club." The coach looked at the crowd who were suddenly tired, except for Takeru and Simon. Takeru looked at the tired group and said "Wimps!" Simon then responded "I know, right?" They then noticed the coach looking in their direction. "My apologies sir! It's just that, we didn't notice you looking over here that's all!" Simon said to apologize to the coach. "Well Mr. Ackerman? You actually friends with this kid?" The coach asked Simon who responded "Yeah, actually. We've known each other for a few months at this point. Me and Takeru met him over the summer, didn't we?" Takeru then nodded in agreement.

The coach looked back at Taiki and then said "If you've got any Digimon, just have them on the stand. Unlike Mikisugi, I don't need secret weapons." Taiki felt shocked that the coach somehow knew about that. "Well Shoutmon, I guess the jig is up." Taiki said to Shoutmon in his Xros Loader before he materialized in front of everyone. "Huh, and I thought waiting for your exam was tough. Now I had to wait for you to actually let me out?" Shoutmon said before noticing his surroundings. "Um, Taiki... Why is everybody here in a different uniform than you?" Shoutmon asked Taiki who responded "Well, they're part of the school's basketball team. And right now, they were going through some drills and the coach ratted you out." Shoutmon sighed and then asked "Anything you gotta do?" Taiki smiled and answered "Just gotta prove that I'm suitable for the team and then bam! I'm assured a spot!" Shoutmon then just got onto the stands and relaxed. "Well aren't you a loud creature. What's your name?" The coach said to Shoutmon who responded "Name's Shoutmon, soon to be king of the Digital World, and strongest fighter of Xros Heart. Taiki is my general."

The coach sighed at the Digimon's confusing explanation and said "Alright let's begin the tryout! Mr. Kudo, show me what you got. But first, get into uniform." Taiki seemed confused until Simon said "I'll take you to the locker rooms for a spare one." The two then walked out of the gymnasium and found a spare basketball uniform. "Leave your clothes here, and if anyone tries to take them, let's just say I'm not gonna be too happy about it." Simon said to Taiki who then got changed into the basketball jersey, shorts and sneakers. Once Taiki came out, he seemed like he was part of the team already. "Dude, it feels weird needing a sports uniform for every team you try out for." Taiki said to Simon who responded "You should see how the swim team handles it. They need those speedos before they even enter the swimming pool." Taiki raised an eyebrow at Simon's statement, before he decided that he was ready for the tryouts. After many successful passes, dunks and jump shots Taiki seemed to prove himself as part of the team. "Alright Mr. Kudo, welcome to the team. We do practices every Monday, Wednesday and Friday. Except for days off and the culture festival. Alright, you are dismissed!" The coach said to Taiki and then the rest of the team.

He left the room, and the other members of the team went over to a a large bucket filled with water. "So does that mean I'm on the team?" Taiki asked Simon, who then answered "Not quite yet, there's still one more thing you gotta do before you join." Taiki then raises an eyebrow at Simon's statement, until the bucket of water was dumped on him. "Dude! Seriously!" Taiki complained before Takeru put a hand on his shoulder and said "That wasn't to mock you, that was really our way of saying welcome to the team!" Taiki then looked at Simon and said "That happened to me on my first day. And I still feel like it's a strange way of saying welcome." Taiki turned towards the other members who smiled at Taiki, before shaking his hand out of respect. Shoutmon on the stands meanwhile, was sorely tempted to not hit the other members of the team. Patamon, who was on the top of the stands went down to Shoutmon and said "It's okay. TK told me all about this initiation. It's something to see if you could take a joke." Shoutmon sighed and responded "Well at least it wasn't lethal acid, or grape soda. Or something stupid like that."

After the team headed into the locker room and changed into their school uniform, they each parted ways. With Taiki walking home with Shoutmon. "I can't believe I'm finally part of a sports club. Isn't this amazing!?" Taiki said to Shoutmon who responded "You're already part of two teams, and now you're on a third team." Taiki then thought about Shoutmon's response and said "Technically I'm part of two teams, since the Digimon Tamers and Xros Heart are now integrated as one." Shoutmon sighed and said "I give up." In defeat. When they got back home, with the soaking wet jersey, shorts and sneakers. Taiki immediately stuck these in the laundry. "Those from school?" Mrs. Kudo asked Taiki who nodded. "Was it a sports club you just joined?" Mrs. Kudo also asked Taiki who nodded once again. "Well, I hope those kids don't end up bullying you Taiki. Otherwise, I will personally see to it that they never hear again." Shoutmon said to Taiki as though he were willing to protect him. "Okay Shoutmon, first of all: Bad idea. Secondly, the team is not going to bully me. They're all really nice and understanding people. It's just that, they're a little bit on the lazy side." Shoutmon shrugged his shoulders and headed up to Taiki's bedroom. "I wonder how Kiriha's doing?" Taiki asked himself before looking at the contact list on his phone.

* * *

The next day...

School had begun as per usual, and the Tamers ended up in their respective classes. Simon, to this day still wondered how Gai managed to get a teacher's job in the school. But decided to wait until class was over to ask him. "Now, I know you're all excited about the upcoming culture festival. But, right now it's time for class and before we get started, I'd like to introduce to a new transfer student who had moved in from America." Gai had said to the students, before they all started muttering some things. "You think it has something to do with that red haired guy?" "I don't know. I hope that it's a hot chick." Simon and Henry looked at each other before sighing at the predictable responses. "I just hope it isn't Emir making a comeback." Simon said to Henry before opening up his notebook. Henry nodded in somewhat agreement, and then the transfer student entered the classroom. "May I introduce, Mimi Tachikawa. Her family had moved back into Japan just a few days ago, but they needed to make sure everything was set. Now then, why don't you say something about yourself Ms. Tachikawa?" Gai said to everyone in the class and she then bowed. "Hello! My name is Mimi, and I really like parties and socializing! And I hope we could all get along this year!" Mimi said in a very excited fashion.

The others seemed to be transfixed by her appearance in her uniform. She was obviously a senior like Taichi, Koushiro, Sora and Yamato. But at the same time, she seemed a bit more cheerful than the others. "Why don't you have a seat nearby Mr. Wong at the back." Gai said to Mimi who then grabbed her bag and placed it nearby Simon and Henry. "So, I'm guessing you two must be interesting people." Mimi said to Simon and Henry, before Simon asked "And what made you ask that?" Mimi pointed to the window. "I've seen some shows with my boyfriend, and I know for a fact that the interesting people, are always nearby the window. So what's your names?" Mimi said to Simon and Henry before they all introduced each other. "Well, after this I'll be heading into Maths and then Arts class." Mimi said to Simon and Henry pointing out what classes she's going to. "Y'know, I did hear that you might know some people around the school." Simon said to Mimi who then asked "Who? Who?" Henry still seemed a bit surprised by her enthusiasm. "Well, there's TK or Takeru, Hikari, Taichi, and I believe Koushiro..." Mimi then seemed very intrigued by the last name Simon mentioned.

Later on in the day, Koushiro and Ken had exited from their honors classes before proceeding down the hall. "So, I figured that we could look over today's work in the cafeteria when we meet up with the others." Ken suggested to Koushiro who responded "Well, I think that would work out greatly. I mean, we gotta do all this work together and whatnot." They kept on walking and discussing plans to study further, before they noticed Simon and Henry walking with Mimi. "So Mimi, what do you think of High School?" Henry asked Mimi who responded "It's really nice and all, and I really wanna see Izzy right now!" Simon looks at Mimi and says "Well, here's your chance." Mimi was confused until she saw Koushiro blushing immensly at the site of Mimi at the school. "M-M-Mimi? What are you-?" Koushiro was saying before Mimi interrupted him by running up and glomping him. "Izzy! You have no idea how much I missed you! How have you been? What's life been like? And you seeing anybody tonight? Hold on, let me take a selfie!" Mimi said excitedly once again while taking a picture of herself with Koushiro via her cell phone. "Let me post this on Facebook!" Mimi then said before accessing the WiFi point and posting the picture onto Facebook.

"Wow, I didn't pin Izzy as the stud type." Simon said to Henry before Mimi responded "Oh, he may be really good, but he's so adorable! That's part of his real charm there!" Koushiro then felt really awkward regarding what Mimi just said. "He's adorable?" Henry and Ken both asked regarding Koushiro's supposed charm. "Well, his somewhat meek physique in comparison to the majority of us, the fact that he's kind of a nerd... Which isn't a bad thing, since it's very helpful and the fact that his hair isn't as spiky as Davis or Tai's kind of gives that away." Mimi looks at Simon after he said that and responded "Oh Simon, Emir told me you were the naive type. And you probably don't even know what I meant." Simon seemed very confused by what she meant, and said to himself "Note to self: Skype Emir afterschool today and ask him this shit." Koushiro continued to blush while looking at Mimi, who seemed to look down at him with a certain feeling that he hasn't seen in a while... A feeling simply known as, longing...

 **つづく**


	31. The Culture Festival!

The Following is a non-profit Fanfiction. Digimon is owned by Toei Animation, Bandai, Akiyoshi Hongo and licensed by Saban Brands. Please support the official release, by buying the DVDs.

Digimon Tamers Crimson: Knights of Grim Episode 27: The Culture Festival!

Throughout most of the day, Koushiro remained with a blank stare on his face and blushing immensely. He seemed to be functioning normally, since he was eating lunch with the guys in the cafeteria and Mimi was busy socializing with the girls. "So, you guys mind if I hang out?" Mimi asked the girls who shook their heads. "Okay, cool. So far, I am loving this school and I really want to make lots of friends. By the way, I'm Mimi Tachikawa!" Mimi said to the girls before Rika shook her hand. "Rika Nonaka. It's nice to meet someone like you." Rika said in a somewhat calm tone, despite her usual demeanor. "Nice to meet you too! I heard about your mom, Rumiko who by the way, love her work! I see her on magazines, fashion stores and even some commercials about sunscreen!" Mimi responded, while listing off Rumiko's work. Rika sighed and felt a bit awkward. "I'm Nia Esthiem, and it's nice to meet you." Nia said to Mimi to lighten the mood.

"Oh yeah, I heard about you too! Though, I think most people mistake you for a guy... Which is really cool by the way!" Mimi responded before going over to see Hikari and Suzie. "I'm Suzie Wong, Henry's little sister." Suzie said introducing herself to Mimi. "Aww, you're so cute! I just wanna hug you all day long like a little teddie bear." Hikari then got up and said "It's nice to see you're doing alright Mimi..." Before going up to give a hug to Mimi. "Well Kari, you're still just as sweet as ever!" Mimi responded to Hikari before taking her seat nearby Rika. "So what do you guys like, talk about?" Mimi asked the group before Rika sighed and responded "It's a thing called Digimon. You wouldn't be that interested." Mimi felt a bit more enthusiastic and said "I know about Digimon! They're like those really cool monster things that kick all kinds of butt right?" Everybody looked at Mimi, wondering how she knows that. "Oh, I got this really cool device when I was in America. I'll show you guys my partner after school kay?" Mimi said to the girls who shrugged and basically said "Why not?" Before getting into a lengthy conversation with each other.

Henry ended up catching a glimpse of Mimi's green Digivice, though he was surprised at how blunt she is when it comes to revealing herself as a Tamer. "Well Simon, it looks like you already have a new recruit." Henry said to Simon who sighed and responded "Right and while I'm at it, why don't I make it official and have her sign leases saying we're not responsible for your possible death. If she wants to get involved then it's her choice. I'm not gonna force her to do it, if she doesn't want to." Taichi then looks over at Mimi and says "I don't know man... We kind of need some form of enthusiasm on our little team. And besides, are you a little shy about having another girl on the team?" Simon shakes his head and responds "Again, I'm not gonna yank her arm over here. If she joins, that's what she wants. If not, then oh well." Koushiro seemed to suddnely snap out of his trance and says "No Simon. I know what the answer is. And it's no, she won't be involved at all!" The others looked at Koushiro out of surprise. "I'd rather her not get herself thrown in with our business! She should just live her life as happy as she is now! I don't want her to risk her own life, just for our own team!" Koushiro continued before storming out of the cafeteria.

"Does everything that we do involve someone storming off? Or am I still paranoid as per usual?" Simon asked the group who shrugged their shoulders. Mimi sees Koushiro taking off, and looks at the other girls. "Excuse me for a moment, I gotta go catch my nerd!" Mimi says to the group before going after Koushiro. Nia looks over at Simon who raises his hands just to prove he's innocent. Takeru seems to be worried about the two as much as Hikari. Though both were told otherwise to go and follow them. Once Koushiro had gotten onto the roof, he noticed that the sky was getting very cloudy. He then stared at the city, praying that what they're saying isn't true about Mimi and she just got that as a toy to please the girls. "Oh! There's my nerd! So how's it going Izzy?" Mimi said, approaching Koushiro from behind while hugging him. "Mimi... Is it really true? That you're a Tamer?" Koushiro asked praying that she was lying. Mimi looked at Koushiro and said "Yeah. It's true. My partner's waiting for me back home. And I'm guessing you're already one of the Tamers?" Koushiro nodded and then turned to face Mimi. "Izzy, what's wrong? Was it really because I left?" Mimi asked Koushiro, who then leaned his head on her shoulder.

Koushiro then felt really sad. "I didn't want you joining us! I've always wanted to see you again... But why is it that, whenever I get what I want, there's always a dangerous catch to it!? I've always been curious about what it's like to be a Tamer, and now I'm putting my life in danger every day! I wanted to know about my parents... Only to find out they died! A little after I was born too! And then, wanting to see you again... Just to see that you're willing to put yourself in danger just to have friends like me!" Koushiro said while crying over Mimi's shoulder. Mimi was genuinely surprised to see this. For the first time in the three years they've been apart, Koushiro Izumi was crying over her. "Oh Izzy... I didn't know. I'm so sorry to worry you! Tell ya what! From now on, maybe we should do some of these things together!" Mimi said to Koushiro who seemed shocked that Mimi would still want to do some dangerous things. "You've probably been the one person in Shinjuku who I've always wanted to see again! And now that I know that you're a Tamer just like me, of course I'd want to help out more than ever! Izzy, you gotta understand that I'm not gonna let a little danger stop me from being with you and my hopeful new besties!" Mimi said to Koushiro, trying to convince him to understand.

She then got a bit more bold and kissed him on the lips. Koushiro, who despite being in a relationship with her... Has never kissed her on the lips. And this was a new sensation for him. As they were kissing it started to rain outside. "Wanna go back in?" Mimi asked Koushiro who nodded in his shocked state. When the two headed inside, Koushiro looked at Mimi and asked "Was that your first kiss too? Out... Of Curiosity of course!" Mimi then poked Koushiro in the nose and responded "Well, you're the one man for me... So of course I was saving my first kiss for you!" Koushiro then felt happy that at least he wasn't the only one who was inexperienced. Once they got into the hallway, the bell had rung and the two already had to return to their regularly scheduled classes. Luckily, neither had left all their things in the cafeteria. For the both of them, it felt like a satisfying start of a beautiful, long lasting relationship. Mimi had spent most of her day talking with some of the girls, either about taming or just normal every day activities.

* * *

Later that day, Simon had noticed that Mimi was getting awfully affectionate with Koushiro. Though, he seemed to have figured out their relationship status, the moment she glomped him. "So to make a long story short, Izzy's my nerd guys!" Mimi said to the others who were all a bit skeptical of this. "I feel like you're treating him like the guy who'd do homework for you, based on that statement. I mean, you're probably a really sweet girl but it feels like you're kind of using him." The others were also a bit confused by Simon's statement. "Oh no, Simon you don't understand. There's another meaning to her nerd when she says it." Koushiro responded. "You might not see it, but Izzy definitely sees it. And I'll be sure to tell you one day... Little boy." Mimi said before walking with Koushiro. "Little boy? Okay, now I know for sure where she gets all these insinuations from! Just because I'm a year younger than him, and most of the Highton View Terrace kids, doesn't mean that I'm a little kid! Just the fact that I'm going to be a dad, makes me already a few steps ahead of you. Though I shouldn't declare that in front of a bunch of highschoolers, at least I'm only in front of my friends right now!" Simon ranted to the others.

"Well Simon, if it makes you feel any better we didn't really get it either, and Suzie's still the youngest of our group." Henry said to Simon trying to cheer him up. "I know that! But it's always me who's called a little kid and not any of you! Because of course, I happen to be the one with probably the most innocent mindset out of the whole group." Simon then went off to his house, just to see if he could get in touch with Emir. "Never thought I'd see Simon get so pissed over something like this. I mean, sure I got what Mimi meant... But that's only because me, Kari and Takeru were childhood friends with her." Taichi said regarding Simon's recent outburst. Ken seemed really shocked by this as well. "So what now? More combat practice this weekend?" Ken asked the others who shrugged as though to say "Why not?" Ken then proceeded to text a time and a place for combat practice to all the Tamers. Daisuke didn't have soccer practice, so he was able to get a chance to relax with V-Mon and Jun. Taichi felt like he has some catching up to do once again. "Six years is an awful long time for me to be gone, huh?" Taichi asked himself before walking towards Shinjuku park, where he knew Agumon would go today.

He looks around at the trees, and reminesce over the first day he'd gone here with Hikari and Yuko. Though moving to Shinjuku, was entirely his parent's decision due to the Highton view terrace incident. "Sometimes, I gotta wonder how much did I really miss when I was gone. Getting back into school... Wasn't as easy as it's all cracked up to be. There's more stuff to do, more things about your old friends you didn't know about... And finding out my little sister got herself a boyfriend, and gave him my goggles." Daisuke saw Taichi ranting to himself and responded "Y'know Kari did think about you nonstop right?" Taichi looks at Daisuke and says "Yeah, of course I know that. Kari said that she believed that I was never dead, and Mom had to tell the people who arranged my funeral in the first place, to remove the grave stone!" Daisuke then sits nearby Taichi and responds "I don't know what that feels like, but I do know what it was like to be at a funeral. It's not a very pleasant thing to go through when it's your family. Tai, you've been dead according to most sources for six years. And all of a sudden, you've come back. It's understandable that there are things you personally need to catch up with, along with people who have missed you. I get that you're having problems right now, but there's no need to brood about it. We already got our fearless leader for that issue."

Taichi then thinks about Daisuke's response and says "Well at least I know my sister's in good hands. I just wish I could've met you myself, then maybe you could've been my protege and I would show you all the best moves of Taichi Kamiya!" Daisuke raised an eyebrow at Taichi's ego. "You do know that I've already got the know-how right?" Daisuke asked Taichi who deflated and responded "Of course. It's just that, I kind of wish that things were different. But I guess that I'm glad I met you, Simon and the other Tamers." Daisuke smiled at Taichi's statement. Hikari was spending time with Gatomon along with Rika and Renamon. "Well at least through this, I can see that Hikari really wanted to fight for someone as simple as me." Taichi said looking at the tamers and their Digimon. Daisuke shakes his head and responds "If you were simple, I'd think that Kari was just being a bit silly. But looking at you, I can see you're far more complex than most people would imagine."

* * *

Meanwhile...

Simon was just finishing a call with Emir, discussing about Mimi. And he seemed pretty frustrated afterwards. "I feel like, maybe there might be a little more to me having this innocent mindset. Something I never really conceived. Now if only I could figure out all this." Simon said to himself before Guilmon responded "You know we could just figure all this out together right?" Simon looked over at Guilmon and patted his head. "Well if anything happens, maybe we'll go out on patrol tonight. But that's if Nia and co. left us anything to do." Simon said to Guilmon before looking up Mimi on Facebook before sending her a friend request. "I wonder if she'll actually accept my request. Then again, she'll be filled to the brim with double entendres." Simon said to himself while looking through his messages. "Guilmon, be honest with me... Will my curiosity end up killing me one day? Cause I don't think I can afford that kind of mistake." Simon asks Guilmon who thinks about it and responds "Considering that you aren't exactly the type to leave things to chance, I'd say it would probably leave you in shambles before you die."

Simon sighs and says "Spectacular. Not only, is my curiosity gonna one day kill me. But it's probably gonna beat the crap out of me first. Even my oldest friend is saying all these things." Guilmon looks at Simon with confusion and says "You told me to be honest. So there you go. We're still best friends." Simon then looks out the window at the sunset, and thinks about today's events. "I feel like these days are going to really test me. Not only do I have to deal with being a father, like you are going to be. But I also have to deal with all these things, that are really starting to test my patience. But then again... I think maybe I really should take my father's words to heart. To believe in my friends, as they believe in me... Well except for Emir. But still, nonetheless I should just basically go in gung-ho and kick logic's ass. And besides..." Guilmon then finishes along with Simon and they both said "Who the hell do they think I am!?" While raising their hands in the air. "That's still my favorite part of your dad's mercenary stories. Even if you end up brooding a lot." Guilmon says to Simon feeling a bit shy.

The next day, Simon and co. had decided to go to the Digital World for some combat practice. So, afterschool each of the Tamers had gotten together including Sora and Yamato. Koushiro was lucky to have the day off, but he was surprised at the sudden decision made by their fearless leader. "So Izzy, what's going on here? We going on a field trip? What was that text message? And why did you ask me to bring my sweet little Palmon with you guys?" Mimi asked while holding onto Palmon, who waved to the others. Palmon seemed to be a strange plant monster, with vines for fingers and toes and a little purple flower on her head. "So, what are we doing today? Mr. Simon?" Palmon asked Simon who responded "Glad you asked Palmon, cause this is gonna be beneficial for you. We're gonna be going out for combat practice!" Mimi gasped at the thought. "No. I'm not going! I don't want Palmon to get into a fight, and besides... She's my best friend." Mimi said, appauled by Simon wanting her to fight. Koushiro then walks up to Simon and says "Let me handle this..." Before walking back to Mimi with Tentomon. "Mimi, it's not really combat practice... It's just working out. You've been eating a lot of sweets recently haven't you?" Koushiro said to Mimi who then pondered what she ate.

"Well, I guess you'd be right about that. So, where are we going to work out?" Mimi responded to Koushiro who then answered "To the place that Digimon call home." Nia then has Impmon evolve into Wizardmon and teleport the group to the Digital World. "Here we are, once again... The Digital World." Mimi looks around at the bleak landscape, and feels a little frightened. "I know I've been to a few night clubs. Those, I could handle. But this place, looks like the apocalypse just hit." Mimi said regarding the entire place. "You'll get used to it. Trust me." Rika responded to Mimi who felt some reassurance coming from Rika. "Alright, we need to be in teams of two. One will supervise the other, and help them with their training. Each of you pick your partners, and find a different location. We don't want to end up hitting each other while working out now do we?" Simon said to the others who nodded in response. Taiki had decided to go with Kiriha, to have a little Xros Heart practice. Which meant the entire blue and red team. "Hey Greymon... You ever wonder why we're here?" Mailbirdramon asked Greymon who responded "Well... Aren't we here for practice? I mean, we are here for that sort of thing right?" Mailbirdramon sighed and answered "I guess so. I just feel like, maybe I'm not really much other than your component. Y'know?"

Greymon then put a hand on Mailbirdramon and said "You are no tool for me. You're a partner, you're a part of Xros Heart. Never forget that, as you fight. I believe we'll be fighting separately just so we could all have a chance... Including our very mute friend Cyberdramon." A robotic dragon Digimon was nearby the two, and just analyzed the group before him. "Huh? So your friend there finally comes out. Nice to meet you. Name's Shoutmon." Shoutmon said to Cyberdramon who then scanned Shoutmon. "SCANNING. PROCESSING. LIFE FORM IDENTIFIED. AS SHOUTMON. PARTNER OF RED GENERAL. TAIKI KUDO. FRIENDLY LIFE FORM. ENGAGING. COMBAT. MODE." Cyberdramon says before taking a fighting stance, next to Greymon. "Huh, I guess Cyberdramon isn't mute after all." Taiki said to Kiriha who shrugged his shoulders and responded "Guess not. And at least he knows that Shoutmon and the others are friends." They then engaged each other, in a large scale form of sparring. Taichi was paired up with Sora, who had Biyomon evolve into Birdramon to engage GeoGreymon. The two had been going at it quite a bit. GeoGreymon felt quite a lot of satisfaction in fighting again, especially against a worthy opponent such as Birdramon.

Taichi and Sora watched as though they were in some kind of rivalry. Which was very much friendly. Simon had Growlmon fight against Kyubimon, which was a bit of a surprise to the group. Since they would've picked Simon as the type to battle Impmon. Wizardmon was engaged with Gargomon, who couldn't get a whole lot of shots at Wizardmon. Nia felt this was a nice change of pace, since she didn't want Simon taking it too easy on her. Yamato, had Garurumon go up against Turuiemon, since Takeru had already called dibs on training with Ken. To the surprise of no one, Turuiemon had dodged quite a numerous amount of Garurumon's attacks. To the point where they could be playing a game of tag. "How much have you trained Lopmon?" Yamato asks Suzie who responds "When Henry's not looking. Which does happen more often than you think." Yamato looks over at Henry, who was willing to help Gargomon whenever he could. "Is your brother somewhat ignorant, or is he very lineant?" Yamato asked Suzie who responded "Oh, he lets me most of the time." Yamato sighs at how somewhat perfect Suzie's relationship with Henry is. Hikari had taken Daisuke for herself, mostly because she wanted him alone. But supposedly because of his and Ken's near flawless chemistry.

Gatomon luckily didn't need to evolve to a new form, since she was by default a champion level. She and XV-Mon had duked it out for a few minutes, while Daisuke and Hikari were just sitting next to each other. Though Hikari did creep her hand close enough to his, just to hold it though. Koushiro and Mimi though... Mimi legitmately thought this was going to be a workout session, so she did a few stretches before doing pull ups. "Well Izzy? When are we gonna get to working out?" Mimi asked Koushiro who responded "Well... We could have our Digimon do a little bit of... That." Palmon had looked at Tentomon, who said "I never really fought a girl Digimon before... But I won't pull my punches... Except for me just being in rookie form that is." Palmon waved her hand and said "Oh, that's okay. You don't need to get stronger. Mimi's found a way to get me to higher levels without fighting." Tentomon was a tad bit curious by what Palmon meant, before turning into a ball and rolling around. Palmon had wrapped her vines around Tentomon and threw him towards a mountain.

Though Tentomon was able to catch himself. "You really are that good, huh? Well then, how about the same thing... Only slightly different?" Tentomon asked before turning into a ball again... Only this time, he was exuding electricity. Palmon then fired her vines at the ground and lifted it up. Though Tentomon was able to anticipate this, and use the elevated ground as a ramp. He landed close by to Palmon, which the electricity ended up hitting her instead of himself. "Ouch... You really hurt Tentomon. Though not that much actually." Palmon said supposedly cleaning herself of dust. "Wow, you really are tough. Alrighty then, no more mister nice bug! Electro shocker!" Tentomon said before firing a bolt of electricity at Palmon, who got out of the way. "Izzy, why are our Digimon just fighting? Why don't they do push ups or sit ups like most work outs go?" Mimi asked Koushiro who responded "Well... They're Digimon. And they get stronger... Through fighting. But don't worry, I have a legitimate explanation for this!" Mimi sighed and said "You always do. And that's why you're my nerd!" She then pinched Koushiro's cheek. Though all of a sudden, a large, bulky green Digimon showed up and landed nearby Palmon and Tentomon.

Simon and co. had spotted the large green Digimon. "Okay, I'll go and help them. You guys look out for reinforcements!" Simon said to the others before charging to the green Digimon. Henry had taken out his Digivice and analyzed the Digimon. "Ogremon, Virus type, Champion level. It's attacks are: Tyrant Fist, Bone Cudgel, and Strong Maul." Henry said quoting his Digivice. Sora didn't want to sit around while Simon ended up doing all the work, so she went over and helped out of not wanting to listen to him. "Sora, c'mon! Seriously!?" Taichi said while Birdramon was flying over with Sora. Ogremon was about to strike Tentomon, who was standing in between Ogremon and Palmon. However, Simon's chain link whip latched onto the bone club and pulled him towards Simon. "So, right now we have a derp faced Digimon instead of one of Yggdrasil's minions... Just dandy." Simon said, before seeing Birdramon fire flames from it's wings and moving out of the way. "Sora! I told you to look out for reinforcements!" Simon said to Sora who shook her head and responded "I'm not helping you! I'm helping Izzy and Mimi! I don't need you telling me how to do things!"

Simon sighed and said "Fine, just make sure to follow my lead okay?" Sora looked at Simon and smirked to herself. "Alright, he seems to be heavily reliant on that club, so I recommend restraining him and then blasting him again-" Simon was saying before Sora had Birdramon charge in and attack Ogremon. "Or you can just charge in like an idiot. Dandy." Birdramon was about to grasp Ogremon's club, but he faked out and instead gripped one of her talons. He then threw her towards Simon, who was going in to help her. "So how's charging in going?" Simon asked before Birdramon crashed into him and headed straight for a mountain. "Ow." Simon said before he and Birdramon got out of the mountain. "First, could somebody get the coding on Birdramon? Second... How about we have a plan, and then charge in to save your friends. And for your information, they're my friends too okay!?" Simon said to Sora who sighed begrudgingly and responded "Fine, do we go with the restraining?" Simon shook his head and answered "Yes, but he'll be liable to rely on his brute strength, rather than the power of his club." Ogremon then looked at the two and sighed before saying "Ugh, guess I'll go after the little bug now." And he then turned around to tentomon and Palmon.

Simon and Sora both noticed this and ran towards Ogremon. He was about to strike Tentomon, until Palmon stepped in and suddenly began to glow. "What's this!?" Ogremon asked in shock before Palmon started to get bigger. "Izzy! What's happening!?" Mimi asked Koushiro who responded "She's evolving..."

 **EVOLUTION._**

 **Palmon Evolve to...**

Palmon had then turned into what appeared to be... A giant bipedal cactus with boxing gloves. It seemed to have a similar facial expression to Cactuars and had a flower on top of it's head, as though to suggest that it could become something much more beautiful.

 **Togemon!**

Togemon had then punched Ogremon... Right in the crotch. Though Digimon aren't weak there, Simon felt himself cringe when he saw that. "I know that my crotch is somewhat indestructible... But still, that hurt me without actually hitting me." Simon said to Sora who was busy analyzing Togemon. "Togemon, Data type, Champion level. Attacks are: Needle Spray and Lightspeed Jab." Sora said quoting her Digivice. Simon looked at Togemon and said "Well, at least the cactus is kicking his ass." While noticing that Togemon is approaching Ogremon. " **Needle Spray!** " She yelled before firing several needles into Ogremon's body. The green Digimon then started to writhe in agony. "Izzy, why is Togemon fighting? I know this has happened before... But why does she need to fight?" Mimi asked Koushiro, out of fear for her Digimon. "Mimi, she fights... Or rather we fight, so that we never have to again." Koushiro answered to Mimi who was a bit confused until Rika had decided to approach the two and said "It's just like he said, we fight just so we'll never have to again. And I'm sure this time is no exception."

Mimi then realized that maybe there is a right reason to fight. "Togemon... Kick his ass!" Mimi yelled to her Digimon who then gave her a thumbs up. She then gave a boxing stance before approaching to give some swift jabs at Ogremon. " **Lightspeed jabs!** " Togemon said before repeatedly punching Ogremon into submission. She then gave one last uppercut to Ogremon, who seemed to be sent flying. At least until he ended up hitting the ground with a hard impact. "Okay... No more... I give up..." Ogremon said in pain. Simon felt a bit surprised that this, villainous Digimon had decided to merely call it quits. They were all gathered around Ogremon, who then told them of his tales of woe. "Throughout my journeys in the Digital World, I have encountered several Digimon. None of them, could even come close to my level of power. Though I chose the merciful route, since I wanted to be equal to my rival. The one and only... BanchoLeomon." Ogremon said, explaining his tale in a somewhat abridged version. "So... You want to beat my bestie in a fight?" Impmon said to Ogremon who then responded "But of course! I wouldn't kill him. Because, if I did that it would end the Leomon species before it could even repopulate." Impmon made a sigh of relief before Nia had decided to hold him in her arms.

Though yet another sudden event occured this day. A portal had just opened from above and out came the one man Simon sighs at seeing all the time. "Hello Emir. How was your grandiose entrance?" Simon asked Emir in a deadpan tone. "Well, I thought it would be nice to come and see my newest apprentice. Just to deliver the package she had ordered." Emir said while still sitting on Aquilamon. He then handed Togemon a green sphere of data, which seemed to give her overwhelming power. "Woah! I feel amazing! Like I'm gonna evolve again!" Togemon said in excitement before she begun to change, for the second time today. Togemon's flower had finally opened up, and out came a sprixie in a pink flower dress, with a rose headpiece. She had also adorned eucalyptus leaf gloves, leggings and wings. Though her shoes were made of a different plant. "Togemon, Super Evolve to... Lillymon!" Lillymon then flew on Mimi's shoulder. Everyone except for Simon and Rika thought it was adorable. "Lillymon, Data Type, Ultimate Level. Attacks are: Flower Cannon, Flower Wreath, Temptation, and Vicious Vine." Rika said quoting her Digivice. Lillymon then blew a kiss to Emir who then responded "Your welcome. And I'm guessing the red head is your nerd?"

Mimi nodded and answered "Yep! He's my one and only nerd!" Emir nodded and then had Aquilamon fly back into the portal and left the Digital World. "Well... That was random, but convenient nonetheless." Ken said regarding the whole thing. "Well Ogremon, I hope to one day see your little skirmish with BanchoLeomon... As far away from the baby Digimon as possible. So until then, sayonara!" Simon said before shaking Ogremon's hand and having Takeru evolve Patamon to MagnaAngemon and create a portal back home. Ogremon then picked up his club and headed for the industrial sector. "From there, my journey to become the legendary Titamon will commence! LEEROOOOOOYYYYYY JENKIIIIIIIIINSSSSS!" Ogremon yelled before charging towards said sector. Once the tamers had gotten home, Mimi had started really gushing over Lillymon... Over how cute and small she looks. "Compared to most Ultimate level Digimon around here, Lillymon's kind of tiny." Koushiro said before blushing. "Yeah, but that's what makes it so special. And maybe later on... We'll get together and maybe I'll figure out a way to support you guys!" Mimi said before running with Lillymon towards home. The others had then agreed to head home and do their daily routines.

* * *

A few weeks later...

October had rolled around, and it seemed like it was nearing the Culture festival. It only seemed like a few days away, and yet to some students it felt like an eternity. "Well do any of us germs have something to look forward to?" Simon asked the group who were confused by what he meant. "Um, we're all clean Simon." Ken said to Simon who responded "Ever heard of the phrase "Ladies and Germs"?" Taichi sighed and said "I should've gotten that! But anyway, nothing really." Daisuke shook his head at Simon's question. Henry then said "Um guys... You should see this." Simon then followed Henry towards what appeared to be a billboard of some sort. "Can't believe some guys actually signed themselves for the "Beauty pageant"." One of the students said. "Doesn't anyone know it's for the girls to watch?" Another one asked and Simon looked at the billboard. "Wow, I can't believe that some schmucks signed up for this crap!" Simon said before Henry pointed to the names written in Katakana. "No. This can't be true." Simon said before he went up and muttered the names in order.

"Ackerman Simon, Wong Jianliang, Motomiya Daisuke, Ichijouji Ken, Takaishi Takeru, Kamiya Taichi, and Izumi Koushiro." Koushiro's jaw immediately dropped to the floor, at the mere prospect of participating in the "Beauty" pageant. Taiki looked at the billboard, tempted to sign his name as well... Until Kiriha grabbed his arm and shook his head. "Alright, I think I might have an idea who did this!" Takeru said cracking his knuckles as though he were prepared to fight someone. Ken grabbed Takeru's shoulder and said "No TK, we're not going to just jump the gun and say it's the girls." Simon then responded "But we should ask just in case, so let's see if we can meet up on the roof." They then nodded and headed for the roof. Although Taichi had to drag Koushiro, who was still too shocked to even move a muscle. Simon looked at his phone, hoping for a response from Nia and the others. "So, now all we do is wait. And pray that it was all just a misunderstanding." Ken said, hoping that it was a mistake. Once the girls had gotten on the rooftop, they all had sheepish grins on their faces.

"Hey guys, what's up?" Hikari asked nervously, which Rika and Nia both face palmed at. "Serioulsy, you couldn't compose yourself for this?" Rika asked Hikari who responded "I'm so sorry Davis! It just seemed funny at the time!" Ken slumped over in defeat. Mimi noticed that Koushiro was still slack jawed. "Hold on a minute, I need to reboot my nerd." Mimi said before poking him in the head, which snapped him back into reality. "What happened? And why are we on the roof?" Koushiro asked everyone, before Takeru responded "We're here because the girls thought it'd be a gay old time, if we were in the "Beauty" pageant. And we are currently interrogating them." Koushiro then said "Oh... Well, any particular reason why I still feel very angry right now?" Simon looked over at Nia, who at this point was at least three months pregnant, and yet it wasn't noticeable to the public. At least not yet. "Kari, I gotta ask... Is there any swimsuit competition?" Daisuke asked Hikari who nodded her head up and down. "Kari... Why do you want everyone to notice my scar? It's embarassing!" Daisuke said to her after finding out the answer.

"Davis, that scar would make you look like a total badass. It's not going to embarass you. It'll just empower you." Hikari responded to try and offer some encouragement. Rika then said "At least this isn't one of those pageants where guys have to dress up like girls and we have to wear bikinis." Taichi then said "Alright, I can understand why these guys are in it... But why me!? Who signed me up for it!?" Suzie raised her hand and responded "That Sora girl you love so much, told us that one of us has to sign you up. So I volunteered. As for Ken, I think maybe someone else signed him up." Ken then got up and felt some morbid images enter his head. "Why does this have to happen to me?" Ken asked himself before sitting nearby the rooftop entrance. Henry looked at Rika, while smirking. This ended up giving Rika a little blush, which didn't really go unnoticed by any of the group. "Alright, enough of this. I'm only going to say this once, and now listen closely..." Nia started before suddenly speaking so fast that hardly anybody could keep up. Simon had brought out his notebook and started writing down every word she was saying...

* * *

30 minutes later...

"In short, you are entering the pageant." Nia finished saying, while Simon was finishing writing down the notes. "I think you proved your point. We get it, we'll enter." Henry said while raising his hands to her. Taiki was quite shocked that she had that long of a speech to warrant them to enter. Though, Kiriha was still continuing to dissuade Taiki to enter. The girls had decided to leave the guys on the roof, just to check on the bulletin board. Though, Koushiro seemed to have something planned for the culture festival. Based purely on Mimi's winking at him. "You know, there's a little thing called consent. It's a thing that people should ask before they do anything." Ken said, ranting about the whole situation. "Ken, you act like this is the first time you've been shown off in front of a bunch of girls." Simon said to Ken who responded "You all act like it's so easy! All of you except for TK, Taiki and Kiriha have girlfriends. So I bet you guys are used to showing off." Simon raised an eyebrow at Ken's statement. "Dude, I don't really like showing off either. Not since people have noticed my tanned skin. But now I guess I've got no choice but to show off." Daisuke said to Ken, just to try and cheer him up.

Taichi felt a bit angry at Sora, though he couldn't express it to her in person until later on. He was able to shake his fist in the air and just scream a skyward scream. The scream echoed until it reached the Odaiba High school, where Sora and Yamato both heard his scream somehow. "He must've gotten my surprise." Sora said to herself before continuing to go about her business. "Sora, what do you mean by surprise?" Yamato asked Sora who responded "He's going to be in Shinjuku high's "Beauty Pageant"." Yamato pondered what that was, until he remembered what Takeru had told him during one of his many visits with Gabumon. Back with Simon and co. Simon had earplugs put in, just in case Taichi would scream. "You good now?" Simon asked Taichi who responded "Fine, I'll do it." Koushiro looked at the group and said "Well... I guess I'll do it... Not because Mimi wanted me to do it... But to support my friends." The others looked at Koushiro, who was still blushing. This whole time, Takeru was smirking and said "Relax guys. I kind of saw this coming, so I had a plan in mind for this occasion." Simon then responded "You, you didn't..." Takeru smirked with a permanent marker and Simon hugged him. "I'm so proud of you." Simon then said as he was hugging Takeru.

The girls on the other hand, saw what was on the billboard. Which seemed to be their names written on the cross-dressing pageant. In which the girls have to dress up as guys. Rika and Hikari's eyes twitched at the prospect, while Mimi was examining the rules for the cross-dressing pageant. Though, Nia was expressing immense excitement over the prospect of being in one. She moved around like a giddy school girl, though still dressed as a guy... And proceeded to hug the girls. "Isn't this exciting! We get to finally show off how manly we truly are!" Nia says in a such a high pitched voice. The girls were slightly disturbed by Nia's excitement, though however... There was one girl who willing signed her name on the cross-dressing pageant before walking away. Suzie didn't really care that much about cross-dressing, since she wanted to spend some time with the other girls. Nia examined the name on the board which read "Amano Nene". The girls then looked over at Nene, who was still walking towards what the others assumed was her classroom.

"I've actually had her in a few of my classes. So far, I don't really know anything about her. Other than her strange obsession with me. Which, kind of creeps me out a little." Rika says to the girls before walking towards their classes. Mimi's class had decided on a cheer-leading cafe, since it would appear to attract a lot of customers over. At first, the outfits Rika had designed for the class seemed a bit unorthodox, but the girls seemed to take a liking to it. The outfits covered the basic essentials while making it all the more appealing to guys and girls. Mimi and the class had thanked Rika for her design, which was something that was thought of based on her mother's various outfits. Mimi of course gave Rika a hug, but not a very close hug due to Rika not being a huggy person... Except for Henry. After school, Taichi had given Sora a call, and Nia was being a little clingy to Simon. Though, she thought he was the one who suggested that they do the cross-dressing pageant. Takeru then whispered in Simon's ears "You owe me one. Just enjoy your glory, okay fearless leader?" Simon nodded before heading to Nia's house. He explained to Erwin about the cross-dressing pageant during the culture festival, and he saw that Nia felt like it was Christmas.

Later...

Hikari had looked through Taichi's closet... Which was mostly empty, since Taichi's old clothes were donated to charities. "So, you're looking for something of Tai's... Just to do a cross-dressing pageant?" Yuko asked Hikari who nodded in response. "Mom, I really wish you would've believed me sooner! But right now I got literally two options for boy's clothes!" Hikari said to Yuko who sighed and responded "Well, why don't you see if Davis has any clothes that'll fit you?" Hikari then answered "Mom, Davis wouldn't like it if I just took something that used to be his. And besides, he won't even let me do it." Yuko then thought of something and said "Well, Davis and Tai are out doing things. So while Jun's home, why don't you go in and see if there's anything that would fit you?" Hikari then hugged Yuko and responded "Alright mom, thanks!" Yuko smiled before Hikari stormed off. "I should probably tell her to pick up Tai's things." Yuko said to herself before going over to watch the news. She then received a phone call. "Kamiya residence, how can I help you?" Yuko asked the person on the other end of the line.

"Hey Yuko, could you let Hikari know that I'm coming home early this year?" The person asked in response. "Well of course! But there's a surprise for you when you come!" Yuko answered for the man on the other end. "Alright then, I can't wait to see what it is." The man said before saying bye to Yuko. "I wonder how Tai's going to react to his dad coming home early?" Yuko asked herself before returning to her magazines. Hikari meanwhile, was busy rummaging through Daisuke's old clothes that Jun brought out, and found one of his old vests. Along with a small long sleeve shirt, and cargo shorts. "Thanks Jun! You're a real life saver!" Hikari said to Jun before walking out of the apartment with Daisuke's old clothes. In another area, Rika sighed to herself before laying near her table. "Rika honey, what's the matter?" Rumiko asked Rika who responded "It's a stupid cross-dressing pageant. I gotta dress up like a boy just to appeal to girls." Rumiko then pondered the thought before heading upstairs to retrieve something. "It's probably another dress." Rika said to herself. Rumiko returned with what appeared to be a small butler outfit. "It was something your dad wore when he was young man. I thought it might fit you Rika." For the first time in a while, Rika actually smiled at something her mother did for her.

The Culture Festival had begun a few days later, and it seems that the pageants weren't until a later time. The first day was the cross-dressing pageant. In the meantime, Koushiro had gone to the cheerleading cafe on the upper floors of the school. And was treated to a dinner date with Mimi. Though, he had come dressed in a very nice suit. With a cute little bow tie. But then came the cross-dressing pageant, where there were a suprisingly large amount of girls over the guys. "Geez, who exactly are the girls appealing to here?" Simon asked the guys who just shrugged and continued to watch. "Ladies and Gentlemen! Welcome to Shinjuku high's "Beauty Pageant"! This time, it's the cross dressing pageant. So for now, you ladies have to wait." Some of the ladies sighed in disappointment. "Let's introduce our first contestant! She's a junior year student, and you might know her as the most masculine student in all of Shinjuku high. Ms. Niiiiiiiaaaa Esthiem!"

The announcer said in a very enthusiastic voice. Nia had decided to wear one of her dad's old dress shirts. Which was colored black along with her jeans. She had her arms crossed, as though to look a bit more badass. "Why hello there, I hope you girls are impressed. Cause I sure put a lot of work into this." Nia said in a somewhat stoic voice. Mostly a tone that Simon would use. "I'm surprised she's doing so well under these circumstances. Not to be biased or anything, but she's got my vote." The announcer then said "Contestant No. 2! She's the daughter of a renowned model here in Shinjuku, and boy does she prove it! Let's hear it for Rika Nonaka!" Rika had worn the suit that her father had worn, which seemed to fit her perfectly. "Well of course I'd look good in this. I guess mom was right after all." Rika said to everybody, who seemed a bit intrigued by the outfit. The ponytail was still something that could convince some guys. "Contestent No. 3! She's probably one of the most adorable high school students here, and the heart throb of the soccer team! Hikari Kamiya!" Hikari had worn one of Daisuke's old outfits, which seemed to fit her pretty well. "To be honsest, I always wanted to try something like this. It's just that, I never got an opportunity until now!" Hikari said trying to get over some shyness. Daisuke's jaw dropped to the floor upon seeing Hikari in his clothes. Takeru and Ken figured to fix him by slapping him.

"Contestant No. 4! She's a recent freshman who wishes to become a professional actress! Now then, let's present... Xiaochun Wong!" The announcer said introducing Suzie, who was wearing a martial arts gi. She had bowed to the crowd out of respect, and didn't seem to mind everybody staring. "Geez, Suzie's lucky that the gi is good enough to convince people that she's a guy. But why wear one to begin with?" Henry said, trying to ponder his little sister's necessity for a basic gi. "Onto Contestant No. 5! She's a new transfer student who moved back from America, and believe me she's just as excited as the rest of these girls. Introducing... Mimi Tachikawa!" Mimi was wearing some parkour gear that Emir let her buy, though that was out of wanting to do something to hang out with more people. "Hey everyone! Hope you enjoy the culture festival! There's a sweet cafe with lots of cheerleaders! So do yourselves a favor and check it out!" Mimi said to the crowd, who then started cheering for her. Although to everyone's surprise, there seemed to be an additional contestant.

"And here comes a mystery challenger! She's a famous idol from Okinawa, but moved back to her home town to help out! Introducing... Nene Amano!" The announcer said while spinning in circles. Nene seemed to be wearing a yellow-ish dress shirt and brown pants that came with red straps. She had also worn a red hat to hide her large amount of hair. "Thank you everyone. I don't have time to sign autographs now, but feel free to ask me questions one. At. A. Time." Nene said to everyone who then started really cheering for her. Simon then started scratching his chin. "I've never heard of this Nene girl. Who is she?" Simon asked the others, while Koushiro had looked it up on his phone. "Nene Amano, age 15, and a famous pop idol. Though she may have gotten started at the age of 12, she's been doing songs for a quite some time. And it looks like she's just taking a break from that life." Koushiro said to Simon who then shrugged his shoulders and responded "Well, this ought to be interesting then. Cause now, Nia looks like she has legitimate competition." After a while, the votes were counted and the announcer looked at his sheet to tell who the winner was. "And the winner of this year's crossdressing pageant, is... Ms. Nene Amano!" The announcer said, which surprised the Tamers as a whole. Nia had rubbed her stomach as though trying to reassure the child inside that it's not his/her fault.

"Thank you all for participating! Come back tomorrow when we have the actual "Beauties" on stage!" The announcer said before walking off to stage right. Nia had approached Simon and said "I thought I was guaranteed to win... Oh well, better luck next time." Simon gave her a light hug and responded "Well, you seemed to be very enthusiastic. But I still voted for you just to be fair." Nia smiled before giving Simon a light peck on the cheek. The other girls were somewhat lamenting about their loss. But decided it's not safe to dwell on minor things like this.

* * *

Though, the next day. It was the guy's turn. They had each already gone through introductions, and were now preparing for the swimsuit portion in fifteen minutes. "Alright guys, here's the plan: We dress up in the swimsuits that leave something to their imagination." Simon said to the guys who had brought their respective suits. Simon brought a regular bathing suit, while most of them brought different colored swim trunks. Koushiro had brought a swimsuit that was sleeveless and covered from his torso, down to his lower thighs. Takeru... had brought a speedo.

"TK... Why did you bring that?" Taichi asked Takeru who responded "Sometimes, I feel it's better if there's nothing to the imagination." Simon sighed and said "Well, that rule can apply to girls, but I don't think that people want to see guys in nothing but a speedo!" Takeru sighed and responded "Well screw you guys then. I'm gonna get changed right now!" Simon then cued everyone to get into a separate area to change into their swimsuits. When they were done, they all headed to the stage. "Alright, now that our contestants are on stage, let's give a big warm welcome!" The announcer said, and everybody seemed to cheer. Simon felt like posing in front of everyone. "Well, I gotta say. If you're gonna show off, then you might as well be fabulous!" Simon said into his microphone. Henry then seemed to hide his face with one of his hands, which seemed to give off that he was following Simon's lead. "Well, if you ladies want to see my gorgeous face... Then maybe give me a couple cheers!" Henry said before receiving a few from the audience. Daisuke seemed to blush at everyone staring at his scar. Daisuke sighed and said "Yes, I got a legitimate scar. Now could you please stop staring?" The crowd then did as he said before cheering for him.

Ken then sighed and said "Must everyone give an excuse for me to participate in something?" Ken asked the audience who was a little confused by his question. Takeru had struck a pose in front of everyone and said "Hello... Ladies..." Though, many people were looking away. Takeru then got mad and walked out of the stage. Taichi sighed and said "Well, I happen to be the oldest of the bunch. And I've got this spiky hair as my charm." The audience seemed very intrigued by Taichi's words, and talked it over. Koushiro on the other hand... Was shivering. Out of sheer shyness. He couldn't seem to get out any words, and he just looked onto the audience. "Um... Hi..." Koushiro said, shyly waving to the audience who cheered for him. "Alright, ladies and gents! Cast your votes into the ballet and we'll let these guys get changed into their normal clothes!" The announcer said before the audience went to the ballet. Simon and co. had changed back into their regular school uniforms, and awaited the results. "And the winner, by quite a landslide is... Daisuke Motomiya! Congratulations! You now have the official title of, Hottest dude of the Show!" Daisuke shyly accepted the microphone and said "Your welcome..." Before walking back to the others. "That's all for this year's "Beauty" Pageant! We hope to see you all again for next year!" The announcer said before once again walking off stage. Daisuke had recieved a bit of a glare from Taichi who then asked "What's with this "Hottest Dude of the Show" stuff!?" Daisuke sighed and responded "Well, it's something that's rewarded to the winner of the "Beauty" pageant." Taichi then face palmed and said "I give up..."

 **つづく**


	32. A Very Special Trip

The Following is a non-profit Fanfiction. Digimon is owned by Toei Animation, Bandai, Akiyoshi Hongo and licensed by Saban Brands. Please support the official release, by buying the DVDs...

Digimon Tamers Crimson: Knights of Grim Episode 28: A very special trip...

After the pageant, Simon and co. went about their merry way... Only for Daisuke to try and avoid most people outside the group. Due to his recent title, girls have been thinking about trying to fangirl him away from Hikari. Though, whenever a group would try eyeing Daisuke, Hikari would give them a surprisingly deadly glare. Simon then whispers to Taichi "If looks could kill, Kari would have a body count." Taichi nodded in agreement. Though surprisingly, Kittan had shown up to the school to greet the group. "Well guys, how was the culture festival so far?" Kittan asked everyone. Simon then showed photos of the pageant, that were posted on Facebook. "Oh. Oh... OH... oh." Kittan said as he looked at all the photos. "I didn't know that there was a cross-dressing pageant. I thought it was just going to be that weird pageant." Kittan said after looking through all the photos, and then grabbing Simon from the group. "Alright old man, what's up?" Simon asked Kittan who responded "Well, Erwin wanted to know how things were... With the bump. So, he sent me over instead of telling Gai or Kamina. So how is it?"

Simon then answered "It's three months in now. And no, people haven't begun asking questions yet. So for now, I'd like to at least keep these questions to a minimum due to the unnecessary attention we might attract." Kittan sighs and responds "Fine... I just wanted an excuse to see how things were going around here, since you don't really tell me about school all that often. But hey now, don't let the soon to be senior year discourage you. Instead, let that year be probably the best year of your high school career." Simon nods and asks "Alright, but what about Junior year?" Kittan then answers "Then this'll be your second best year. Now get back to your friends and kick some ass!" Simon nods before walking back over to his friends. Kittan smiled at the sight, until Mr. Asagi and Gai showed up nearby him. "So, what was that whole "Bump" thing all about?" Gai asked Kittan who thought to himself "Crap! When did they get here!?" Kittan then raises his finger to the sky and says "It's a long story..."

Simon and co. were leaving the school building, with Mimi taking the lead as though she wanted to announce something. "Everyone, I'd like to announce something very important!" Mimi said to the group who then stopped to listen to what she is saying. "Alright, so me and my family are going to a really nice hot spring a little bit into Tokyo. My dad's going to be meeting some people at that resort so... He gave me permission to invite all of you guys to the spring!" Koushiro then looked at his schedule on his phone. "Mimi what day is this happening?" Koushiro asked Mimi who responded "This weekend! So c'mon guys! It's got some nice service and the springs are open air!" Koushiro then looked and saw that he was free that weekend. "Alright, I guess I'll go with you guys." Koushiro said to the others who were then thinking about going. "Well Mimi, here's an idea... Post this onto Facebook and invite us to it. We'll rsvp first thing tomorrow morning should we get the chance." Simon suggested to Mimi who responded "Aww, you're so sweet Simon! You trying to flatter me after you lost the pageant?"

Simon shook his head and answered "I don't mind losing. It's just that it so rarely happens. So yeah, even someone like me has to be prepared for when he loses." Mimi then looked at Koushiro and said "Those guys might think Davis is "The Hottest dude of the Show". But there's only one hottie for me. And that's my nerd over here!" Koushiro didn't really blush this time, due to him actually being used to Mimi hugging him. "Alright ladies and gents, we reconvene when Mimi tells us to. And then, we go to the resort!" Simon said to everyone who nodded to his plan. Although, Simon would have to take the Digimon into account. But at the very least, they might be allowed in the open air springs with the guys. Once he got home, Simon booted up Facebook and saw that Mimi had already posted the event. "Nice. Now to ask Dad if it's okay with him." Simon said to himself and looked over at Guilmon. "Simon, where are you going this time?" Guilmon asked his Tamer who then answered "We're probably going to a hot spring and yes, you guys can come with us... But only as In training." Guilmon nodded and let Simon go talk to Kittan.

Kittan had his hand on his face, with Leeron crossing his arms, Leyte adjusting her glasses and Dayaka just sitting there looking nervous. "What? You guys want something now?" Kittan asked to his group. Leyte took a deep breath and yelled "Why didn't you tell us this sooner!" Kittan put his hands over his ears and responded "Because I didn't want you guys giving shit to Simon right now. That's something he doesn't need at this point in time." Leeron then said "If I recall correctly, you said you'd let us know immediately if something like this happened in the near future." Dayaka was trying to avoid saying anything to upset Kittan. "Well, I guess that... Y'know, maybe we should have seen this coming a lot sooner... Or something like that?" Dayaka said, trying to see if he could calm everyone down. Simon had walked through the door and said "Hey dad, I wanted to ask you something... Important... What's up guys?" Leyte, Leeron and Dayaka looked at Simon with varying expressions. "Simon, you're sixteen years old! You don't even know how to raise a child! And the girl you impregnated, do you think she wanted this in her life at this point!?" Leyte said to Simon while grabbing the collar of his shirt. Leeron put a hand on her arm and said "Leyte, why don't you let the boy explain? I'm sure he didn't mean for this to happen..." Leyte sighed and released Simon. "This had better be a pretty damn good explanation."

Simon took a couple deep breaths and calmed himself. "Alright, well how should I put this...?" Simon asked before he went on with what happened that fateful night. After a while, it seemed that Leyte started to calm down and at least see that Simon does have some thing planned out. "Alright, but how do you intend on raising your kid once he/she comes out?" Leyte asked Simon who then responded "I'm gonna raise it the same way mom and dad raised me... Minus the outcast from their peers part. And being mercenaries... And being a Legendary warrior. Like my father before me, I must ask... Who the hell do you think I am!?" Leyte smiled at his response and said "Spoken like a true merc. Though you're not one... But you get the gist of it." Simon nodded and turned to Kittan who asked "And what did you come in here for?" Simon then snapped his fingers and said "My new friend Mimi invited me and the others to a hot spring resort just a little further away from here. So... Can I go?" Kittan sighed and responded "As long as it's with your friends... Then yes, you can go." Simon nodded and thanked Kittan before leaving...

* * *

Two days later...

Simon and co. had confirmed to Mimi that they were going. She had then given them an address, and each of them got a ride to the resort in question with luggage for the weekend. Simon and Koushiro had brought their computers, just in case they need to do something, or contact someone through the internet. Though once they were there, Mimi's parents greeted the large group... And weren't really that surprised that Mimi had invited so many people. "Hey mom, dad. This is my nerd Izzy! The guy I told you about?" Mimi said bringing Koushiro to her parents. "Well, it's nice to meet you Izzy. My daughter told me that you were also a working man. I hope that it's been going great for you." Mr. Tachikawa said to Koushiro who nodded and responded "The pleasure's all mine sir. It's just, I haven't seen your daughter since the day she left Japan. And her being here as an active student, just brought out these feelings from back then." Mr. Tachikawa patted Koushiro on the shoulder and walked in with his cell phone on. "Your father's going to be very busy Mimi, so I don't recommend bothering him when he is. Why don't you spend the day with your friends?" Mrs. Tachikawa said to Mimi who nodded in agreement.

"My dad's one of those entrepereneurs who's had quite a successful business. The only con to that business, is that he doesn't have a whole lot of time to spend with me and mom. So that's kind of why he ended up allowing me to invite all you guys here. Because he's got a lot of fellow workers coming to the resort to discuss some deals. My mom's just kind of the stay at home mom, who does try to do some things around the house... Which I of course help out with. But she seems to be a little upset at my social butterfly tendencies... Back in America of course!" The others seemed a bit surprised at this, though they didn't seem to worry about Mimi's tendencies. "Hey don't worry about it. We're all here for you, should you have any concerns alright?" Simon said to Mimi who shook her head and responded "The only man I need to address those to, is my nerd! So, how about we go through these doors and have ourselves a fantastic time!" Everybody nodded in agreement. When the guys went into their changing room to put on their robes, Simon asked Taichi "Where's the rest of Xros Heart at?" Taichi then responds "Well, they were busy spending time with their family. So they had to decline the invitation." Simon nods in understanding.

Nia sighs at the robe she has to wear... Since it makes her baby bump a little bit noticeable to everyone in the room. Along with the fact that she couldn't wear her bandages on her chest, that made her feel utterly uncomfortable. "Wow Nia, you looked like you put on a bit of weight. How much have you been eating?" Mimi asked to which Nia responded "Right now, it's none of your business." Mimi sighed and then said "Well, we've known each other for at least a month, and now I feel like maybe it's time you told me a little about yourself." Nia rolled her eyes, and the other girls had sighed at Mimi's willingness to pry into Nia's personal situation. "Remember when we were actually able to chat about these personal issues?" Hikari asked Rika who responded "Yeah, and she's actually a Digimon Tamer. So the problem with keeping quiet about that, is the mere fact that it's not the most comfortable thing to discuss around her. She's got no problem when any of us, or Simon talk about it in private. But not in front of someone who's just been in our group for a month now."

Suzie had already gotten in her robe and was looking at herself, while seeing what Lopmon thinks. "Well, I've seen you in plenty of outfits, but this one really does look great on you Suzie." Lopmon said while giving her a thumbs up. Suzie then held Lopmon in her arms before heading out. There was a small little foot spring in the middle of the large area, and the guys had felt like dipping their feet in first. Just to get a good feel of it. "Gentlemen, get used to this warm feeling... Cause we're gonna be sitting in hot water in a few hours. Albeit a little hotter, but the point still stands." Henry and the others had nodded in agreement. But then, they noticed Mimi being a bit clingy towards Nia. As though she were trying to ask personal questions. "Izzy, does Mimi usually do stuff like that?" Taichi asked Koushiro, not sure about Mimi's habits. "Only when there's something she really wants to know. Which in this case, must be Nia's current condition." Mimi then stops getting clingy the moment she sees Koushiro. The Digimon appeared to be having fun nearby the foot spring. Though, a couple of the smaller Digimon were told by their Tamers that they can only stick their feet in.

They had decided to get acquainted with their new room, which they would be staying in for a few days. They had to pick out their futons and what spot on the floor to sleep on. "Y'know, this is probably the first time I've ever slept in the same room as the rest of you guys." Simon said regarding what's happening right now. "Didn't you guys have a camping trip last year?" Taichi asked Simon before Henry responded "Well, all we did really was share a tent. And Simon has slept over my apartment a few times and vice versa. So, between the two of us it's not really all that new. But all of us under the same roof? That's all new." Taichi then pondered a thought. "Well, maybe one of these days we should all have a big sleepover one day." Koushiro looked at Taichi and responded "I can't. I still have work to do." Daisuke and Takeru looked at Koushiro with a bored expression on their faces. Ken was still on his futon, pondering what everyone wanted to do while they were here. "So then, what's say we head on over to the open air bath once it's opened up?" Ken asked everyone who seemed to be surprised by Ken's suggestion. Takeru sighed and said "I'm still mad at you guys for that speedo comment. But what the hell, guess I'll go."

Daisuke and Henry were already all for it. Taichi and Simon then looked at Koushiro who pointed to himself. "You gonna come with us?" Taichi asked Koushiro who answered "Well... Um... It's just that... I"m still... A bit... Shy about all this." Simon looked at Koushiro and said "Nobody's going to judge you. And besides, it's not like everyone here is expecting you to be the best looking nerd in the whole wide world. Mimi is the one that firmly believes that little tidbit. So don't worry about these issues, you'll do fine." Koushiro nodded and said "Yeah, you're right. I gotta be a lot more bold than I was at the pageant. I will show the world that I am just as brave of a tamer, as any of you guys!" Simon felt proud of Koushiro, and then decided to go and see what time the open air bath is ready. "Well guys, good news is... It's in one hour. The bad news, we've only got thirty minutes before the girls have their turn." Simon said to the others who shrugged their shoulders at the news. "But, while we wait... Henry, how about you and I see who's better at Pong." Henry smirked at Simon's statement and headed down to the ping pong table they saw earlier.

* * *

With the girls...

Nia and co. seemed to have their own room as well. Though, they had already decided on which part of the room to sleep in. Nia was very cautious around Mimi, who was eyeing her while she was looking at her stomach. "So, any of you guys know what's going on with your friend there? She's been looking at herself like she's concerned about weight gain. Honestly, someone as good looking as her wouldn't really be all that concerned about weight unless... It's about Simon isn't it?" Mimi asked the girls who looked at her with neutral expressions on their faces. "Guys, don't do that. Mimi doesn't need to be alienated just because of that. Maybe I should just tell her." Nia said to everyone who raised an eyebrow at her. Impmon was only in the girls' room due to him being Nia's partner. Though the whole time he was there, Renamon and Gatomon decided to eye him. "Seriously? You guys think I'm gonna be a pervert? I've lived with Nia for at least a year now, I think some of you guys can put some trust in me. And besides, at least now I'm actually allowed in the girls' room for once." Gatomon seemed to continue to eye Impmon and said "Yeah, but know that if you do anything remotely perverted... I'll kick your ass."

Impmon sighed and responded "You aren't who I'm afraid of. It's Nia's dad who I'm afraid of." Lopmon was sitting around, looking to see if anyone was passing by. Though that was mostly due to her never being at a resort before. "Are you sure that these sliding doors are safe? Cause they're not exactly sturdy. Nor are they very thick." Lopmon asked the group. "Lopmon, these are traditional doors. And don't worry, nobody is going to intrude on us any time soon. Rika's house is somewhat like this, so that's how I know about that whole thing." Renamon answered Lopmon, who then shrugged her shoulders in understanding. "Mimi, you deserve to know. But remember to keep this to yourself okay?" Nia said to Mimi who nodded in agreement. She then whispers to Mimi in her ear... Who then puts her ear on Nia's stomach. "Wow! You're not kidding!" She exclaimed before covering her mouth. "Now could you please not badger her about it?" Hikari asked Mimi who then responded "Oh don't worry about me! I'm pretty good at keeping secrets! Though, some people seem to think otherwise! Then again, I guess it's because I'm so loud..." Mimi then realized she was rambling, and apologized.

Palmon was just looking around and feeling very mystified about the whole place. "Have any of you guys been to one of these before? Cause just from looking, this place is amazing!" Palmon asked the group while still looking at the room itself. "Honestly, no not really. This is probably our first time at a resort this great looking." Hikari said looking at the others, who nodded to confirm her suspicions except for Mimi and Rika who had been to one of these before. "It was during one of those times when my mom had to drag me for some bonding time. Though that, was not a very pleasant experience. Since back then, I didn't have any friends who were really girls. All I had were Simon and Henry. I didn't really know you Nia. So, that would still be applicable." Mimi then put her arm around Rika and said "Well, get ready to have some fun Rika, because you're gonna love it!" Rika looked over at the other girls and responded "Trust me, I already know that." Hikari looked at the schedule and said "Well, the open air bath is gonna be open in an hour. But... I'm wondering if the guys are already gonna be taking it." The girls looked at each other and pondered the same question. "Well either way, we are going to have to wait a bit. So why don't we go and look around the place?" Suzie asked everyone who then pondered that as well.

"Alright, lead the way Suzie!" Mimi said to Suzie before they exited from the room. They had looked around to take in some sights, with their Digimon. It seemed like the location was filled many guest rooms, and at least a couple floors high. One thing that caught the girls' eyes seemed to be the lobby tv and what was on it. Though, that ended up being somewhat boring due to it being a soccer game that only Taichi and Daisuke would watch. After a while, they seemed to have wandered into one room that seemed to have a ping pong table, though Nia and Rika noticed the two who were playing the game in question... Simon and Henry. "They're going at it again?" Suzie asked the group who were unaware of this so-called rivalry between the two. "Rumors have it that, sometimes they spend their spare time playing the ping pong table in the apartment lobby. Though, the games seem to go on for a long time... Despite it being a six point game." Suzie said regarding what was about to happen right now.

* * *

Simon and Henry were on either side of the table. With paddles ready, they had decided to determine who would get first serve. "So you serve this time, or I do it this time?" Henry asked Simon who then pondered the thought. The guys were a bit confused as to what was going on between the two. "Just keep watching guys... The show's about to begin..." Terriermon said to the others who were still a bit confused. Guilmon was sitting down as casually as he could possibly be. Though he was still thinking about the egg back at Rika's house. "Alright, so since I won last time Henry... That means you get to serve." Simon said to Henry who took the ball in his hand, and responded "Okay then, but remember I still won more times than you." Simon sighed and said "Just serve it!" Henry then served the ball, and Simon hit it back with amazing speed, though Henry was also very quick on the rebound. It eventually came down to the two hitting it back and forth at speeds that left the other guys flabbergasted. "Um guys... What am I bearing witness to right now?" Taichi asked everyone who didn't really have a response, though Terriermon was sitting on Guilmon's head just waiting for at least one point.

The girls watched on, with somewhat surprised expressions on their faces. Suzie however, didn't really seem all that surprised... Due to having heard of these games before. V-Mon then wondered something before asking Daisuke "Hey Davish... How long doesh it take them to reach one point?" Daisuke then thought about it and responded "Until one of them messes up I guess." Takeru's eyes had widened and he thought to himself "He's this good at Ping Pong, but he sucks at a jump shot!?" Patamon was mystified by the whole thing, and couldn't keep his eyes off it. Koushiro was actually calculating how fast they would have to be going, and the strength of their swings. Unfortunately for Simon, it seemed that he ended up losing the first point. "Well Simon, that's 1-0..." Henry pointed out, and Simon threw Henry the ball back, who then served it again for another round. Although, this time they started screaming at each other just to increase the intensity in the atmosphere. And everybody continued to watch the game, as though it were the greatest sport in the entire world...

55 minutes later...

The two were both quite sweaty, and Henry's circuits have shown up again. Though now, it seemed very visable to everybody including Mimi, who has never seen those before. Simon's spiral arm had also come into play, which also confused Mimi since she wasn't part of the initial group. "So are those real?" Mimi asked the group who then looked towards Mimi's general direction. Simon didn't feel like turning off his spiral arm, but Henry was somewhat self conscious of the circuits running through his body. "Sorry! We got a little carried away. It looks like I win this time Henry." Simon said to everyone and then Henry. Taichi then responded "That was getting a little carried away!? What happens when you get too carried away!?" Henry then pondered what going too far would be like. "Well, I guess maybe if the paddles were destroyed or something?" Henry answered Taichi as best as he could. Simon looked over and saw that the girls were watching the whole time. "So how do we settle who goes in first?" Simon asked Nia who shook her head and responded "I guess we settle with Rock-Paper-Scissors."

Simon and Nia then went at it with Rock-Paper-Scissors, while Mimi was looking at Henry's circuits and asked "So... What's with you and Simon? I thought that his right arm was normal, and that you didn't have these...?" Rika then explained "Simon lost his arm when he was young, and Henry's circuits are there because of a unique ability that he seems to be born with. The more hits he takes, the more powerful he becomes. Although it does have a definable limit." Mimi then looked at Simon's right arm, and saw that instead of a usual prosthetic, it was made of some kind of green-ish crystal. Though the green was only on the parts that ran along it. "So, does everybody have a gimmick? Like a whole bunch of superheroes? Or is it just these two?" Mimi asked and Rika pondered the thought. "Well so far, the only gimmick we've all got is this new spiral energy that Simon told us about. Which turns out to be something literally everybody is capable." Rika answered Mimi who then wondered if she too could trigger it. Simon ended up winning Rock-Paper-Scissors, which didn't disappoint Nia. She was kind of expecting to go in afterwards. "Alright guys, we're up first... So let's go check out the scenery!" Simon said to the guys who then headed for the open air bath.

* * *

Later...

Simon and co. took in the sights outside, and saw that the sky was still as clear as when they came in. "This place looks so much better at night." Simon said to the others around him. The Digimon had came in as well, along with Impmon who wasn't allowed to be in the spring with Nia. Surprisingly, Koushiro didn't seem shy this time around. Then again, that could be because he was surrounded by friends rather than a whole bunch of students he didn't know. Tentomon slowly relaxed into the water, and felt quite a large amount of relief. "So what is it like at night?" Tentomon asked the group. Though, Taichi ended up responding "Because you could see all the stars at night. I may have been in the Digital World for six years... But the sight of the night sky, was always a really nice thing to see." Takeru seemed to still feel very sour at everybody because of the pageant. "For once, you guys could've been okay with a speedo. But no... You guys had to still say that's overdoing it." Takeru said to the others, and Ken responded "Well that's because it was overdoing it. It may have been a pageant, but that doesn't mean you have to go over the top. Just try to look your best."

Takeru sighed and looked over at Patamon. "You kind of looked good in that." Patamon said, trying to reassure Takeru who then slumped over. "I give up..." Takeru said in defeat. Henry looked over at Simon's arm, and asked "You sure you don't want change that back? Cause, that ended up giving you away to Mimi." Simon then looked at his arm and shook his head. "Not really. At the very least, someone within our group found out and not a complete stranger." Simon said to Henry. "But what if someone we didn't know, namely one of Mimi's dad's business partners ended up seeing you two? Then what?" Daisuke asked and the two then pondered the question. "I guess we'll need to think on that little tidbit. And you know what does surprise me though? How come nobody has swarmed us over the revelation of being Digimon Tamers?" Simon responded to Daisuke and co. Though Koushiro answered "I think it's because of the fact that it's no surprise, since Digimon these days are common knowledge. And heck, even Tentomon's become one of my business' newest members." Tentomon then said "They saw quite a lot of benefit through my power to produce electricity. And having an immense amount of knowledge like Izzy!"

After a little bit, Simon then brought up a question. "So guys... Once this whole business with the bad guys is done, what do you want to do afterwards?" The others then thought about the question. Henry was the first to answer saying "Well, I wanna be a programmer like my dad. And my sensei said that, when he retires I'll probably end up inherit the dojo he runs. Though that's mostly on the basis of my wisdom." Terriermon perked up and added "Hey! You can't just spoil the dream! It probably won't come true big brother!" Henry then scratched in between Terriermon's ears, before saying "Momentai Terriermon." Taichi then answered "Well, I think I might end up being a soccer coach. Which does seem to be what I'm best at. So I figured, hey! Why don't I just coach a soccer team like I help lead Xros Heart?" Agumon sighed and responded "Well respectable warriors, I wish to merely help my friend Shoutmon run the Digital World. Though, at some point I gotta get to my battle with Vulcanusmon, whom I'm scheduled to fight with. Though, I had to delay that. Since both me and Vulcanusmon had been busy with various things." Taichi looked at Simon and added "Agumon's been a bit hung up since that moment, and encouraged me to take him training more often after school. Vulcanusmon said that three days was a bit too little of a time frame."

Simon then pondered what that must've been like. "Well, I wanna run a noodle business. I've been learning how to cook for a long time, and I feel like maybe this would something I'd love to do. I know it kind of goes against the whole soccer thing that Tai's been talking about... But I think it could work out." Simon wasn't really surprised by this, since Jun had told him of that dream a while ago. Though everybody else was pretty surprised. Ken then decided to throw his theoretical hat into the ring and said "Well, Simon... You'll probably like this one. I want to be a police detective. I wanted to put my knowledge and digging into subjects to some use, and I thought that maybe detective work would be great for me." Simon thought about it and responded "Well, you'll probably be working with Nia then. And I hope you have fun pursuing this passion." Ken nodded and Takeru raised his hand. "Alright, now this is gonna blow your mind... I wanna be... A publisher!" Takeru said while pointing skyward. Simon and the others gave him a bit of applause. "Well thank you. I figured that, since our little bizarre adventure has gotten this far, maybe I'd want to make something about it."

Koushiro had taken a bit of time to think long and hard about his answer. He had then said "I decided that I wanted to do something with the Digi-code that I see. Maybe decifer it, and discover new things about Digimon maybe even experts like you guys didn't know. It may be my curiosity talking, but I think I really can make a difference with this." Tentomon then raised his pinser and said "Izzy's been keeping track of all the stuff he sees, and writes it down in a journal. Though, he does have me translate the letters. But overall I'd say we work really well together on this kind of thing." Koushiro had then activated his ability in front of the others, just to see if there was any Digi-code in the hot spring. Surprisingly, there was some text written on some of the rocks. The others watched as Koushiro studied the rocks closely and tried to memorize the lettering on there. "Well fearless leader, how about it? What's your dream?" Taichi asked Simon who then pondered the question. "My dream... To be honest, all I really want is to live a happy life with my soon to be family, make a living by working at the Matsuki Bakery and probably do some other odd jobs around the city. I know that I should have grandeous dreams like the rest of you guys... But I figured that, after doing all these near impossible things throughout these years. I'd think that, maybe I should try to figure out what I'm gonna do for the long run. So, maybe doing stuff like this will probably help me out."

Agumon looks at Simon and asks "Really? After everybody else just said something interesting, you have to follow it up with that?" Simon sighs and responds "Not everything has to be about fighting. There are some things that have to be thought of first, like say... What you're gonna eat? Or what time you want to do all these things. It can't always be fighting 24/7. And with the rise of the Black Rose squadron, I'd say that maybe I get some kind of break from all this, since it does get stressful from time to time. Also Agumon, you can't do everything on your own. Both you and Tai should know this by now." Taichi points to himself and says "But I didn't say anything like that." Simon shakes his head and responds "I know you didn't but you need to talk to your buddy about this. Also, our time's up." Simon then gets out of the water and dries himself off. The others then proceed to follow suit.

* * *

Later, with the girls...

Nia and co. had the better time, since it was already nearing nighttime and they could see the stars. "Wow! They look so pretty!" Suzie said admiring the view that was given from above. Mimi had the most casual position to relax in, while the others were just sitting down. "I wonder how the guys were doing?" Hikari asks everyone, before Mimi responds "Oh don't worry about them, it's just gonna be us for now. And what do you guys think?" Everybody then said "Thank you Mimi!" simultaneously. Which made Mimi giggle and respond "Aww, you guys!" After a little bit, Nia was focused on her stomach, making sure the baby was okay. "Well, I gotta ask... Do you guys have any dreams worth sharing?" Mimi asked the group who then were shocked to hear this. "What about you Mimi? Do you have a dream?" Palmon asked before anyone could respond. "I'm already living the dream... And I'm gonna be doing the dream... Oh sorry! That came out weird! What was I saying?" Mimi said, while fantasizing about Koushiro. "Fine, I'll go first. My dream, is to one day become a Mangaka. It's mostly just me drawing some pictures of you guys, and Henry. But, it'll probably go even further beyond that. My mom, had actually suggested that I take an extra art class so I could improve on my skills."

Mimi was surprised to hear this, though Hikari, Nia and Suzie weren't surprised since she had already told them this dream. "My dream is partially coming true. I'm already part of the police force that my dad runs, but now I wanna be able to protect my family. My soon-to-be family that is. It's something that I feel would work out. And, I still work towards these goals every single day of my life." Mimi looks at Nia and responds "Well, considering the body you have even while three months in... I'd say there's more than enough proof that you've worked your cute butt off." Nia giggles at Mimi's comment, before turning to Hikari. "Actually, I think I might've wanted to be regular house-wife and live with Davis..." The others looked at Hikari before Rika responded "Kari, just woman up and think of something that'll suit you better!" Hikari thought about it for a bit and answered "Well, maybe a psychologist would be a good path for me. It'll give me a chance to look into people's psyche's as well as my own. And maybe that'll help in my relationship with Davis." Nia and Rika both pondered this necessity. Since, Hikari seemed very content with where she is with her relationship.

Suzie then raised her hand and said "Oh! My turn! My turn!" The others looked over at Suzie and gave her the go ahead. "Well, what I want to be... Is a professional actress. Like in the movies. Lopmon's been helping me out with all the practice, and I've been taking acting classes. And it's been something I loved to do as a kid. So, yeah! There you go!" Renamon looked over at Gatomon, who was only in the spring because of Hikari. Though, she had been giving a very frustrated look on her face the whole time. "Y'know, I think this'll be the start of a beautiful friendship! Don't you think girls!?" Mimi asked the others who shrugged their shoulders. Though, it now seemed to be the time for the girls to leave the spring and head into the room. After they had gotten out, they had picked their futons and decided to fall asleep. Mimi, seemed to have other plans. She waited for everyone including Palmon to fall asleep before exiting the room, and heading over to where she knew the boys were at. Though back with the guys, almost everybody was sleeping next to each other...

Except for Koushiro who decided to sleep by himself. "I don't really understand the necessity of that. I mean, I can understand the Digimon but not the guys." Koushiro whispered to himself, hoping not to wake up anybody. The door to the room had opened slowly, and Mimi appeared behind Koushiro. "Don't scream Izzy. Just come with me alright?" Mimi whispered to Koushiro, who complied thinking "Why not?" before walking out with Mimi in his robe. The guys were still sound asleep with Taichi muttering "I'll get you... Kaneda..." In his sleep. Before going back to sucking his thumb. Takeru and Ken seemed to be sleeping pretty close to each other, while Daisuke and Simon were just a meter away from each other. And so, the night seemed to go on, with everybody pretty much sound asleep... Except for Koushiro and Mimi, who seemed to have disappeared without anybody's notice. Whatever the case, it would seem that their weekend would last a long time in their memories. Seeing the beautiful sights of the resort, the open air spring and of course the practically luxorious bedrooms. Life could not get any sweeter than this...

* * *

In the Digital World...

Vulcanusmon appeared to be busy with something quite important. EBEmon was busy assisting him in anyway he can, which has led to quite a bit of efficiency. "I believe that tomorrow will be the day, when I will face Agumon in pitched combat. I pray that his Tamer is just as well equipped." Vulcanusmon said to EBEmon who responded "Well, I don't know who to root for since both sides are those I care about. One is a member of the Tamers, who had inspired me to become even stronger. While the other is one that has given me new purpose. Vulcanusmon... How do I choose a side? When, in all my years I have never felt conflict about being your assistant." Vulcanusmon looks at EBEmon and answers "I know it must be difficult for you. Just from your words alone, I can see that there is something about you. There is only one thing that can give you the answer you seek... And that's your heart. What's in there, is what will ultimately decide what you wish to do. It's not what you have been given, but what you wish to do with that gift. You are now at my level, and you can choose to find a different benefit of your abilities rather than blacksmithing."

EBEmon then looked at himself and pondered this thought. "By the way EBEmon, did you notice that Gallantmon seems to have Grani withinside him?" Vulcanusmon asked EBEmon who responded "Why yes sir! Though Grani may be gone physically, his spirit appears to be guiding Gallantmon with his flight capabilities. When Gallantmon came to me about this, he told me that Grani's parts may end up causing him to start flying much faster. And I've noticed a new part appear on Crimson mode's back... A set of jet wings and what appears to be a booster. So he can fly much faster, with the risk of maneuverability. But then again, he seems to have gotten used to this power through his many days of training." Vulcanusmon stroked his chin and said "I see... Well then, once the V-Tamer and his partner arrive, inform me! And we shall do battle!" EBEmon then bowed to his master and responded "Yes Vulcanusmon... I shall make sure he is notified..." Before walking towards his computer to send a message.

* * *

Back in the human world...

It seemed as though the next day went by faster than the last. Koushiro was blushing like mad after last night, and he was very quiet nearby the guys including Taichi and Tentomon. Tentomon was very worried about his Tamer, since the last time he practically ignored them, was when his curiosity was stolen from him. Simon seemed to be calm about Koushiro's blushing habit, though he kept to himself about what he assumed about Koushiro... Since he probably doesn't want to be right. Mimi, on the other hand seemed to be very happy and constantly humming to herself. When she saw Koushiro walking out of the resort with the rest of the guys, she saw that he was very quiet. And felt she might've done something wrong. "Izzy, is everything okay?" Mimi asked out of genuine concern. Koushiro immediately ran away from her, and ended up in an alleyway. He looked at himself and started crying, due to how he felt towards Mimi. "Izzy? Why are you running away from me?" Mimi asked Koushiro who responded "Mimi... Am I really just a ploy for your needs? Is this all I'm good for?" Koushiro asked Mimi before looking at her with tear-stained eyes. Mimi then felt very bad for Koushiro and knelt nearby him.

"Izzy... I'm so sorry! I didn't mean to hurt you! It's just, I was so irritated! By every single day of my life in America! Every party I went to, it just ended up with every flirtatious man wanting something out of a pretty girl like me! And... I kept on refusing them, and refusing them... Because you're the only one for me! You're the only one who never saw me as just a pretty face! You saw me as a good friend! And, I hate myself for doing that to you. I should've just asked if you wanted this. I should've just waited for a better time, but I just abuse that place... Just like I abuse every privilege I have! I love you! I love everything about you! I love the way you act around most girls! I love how you're probably the geekiest guy I know! I love how we're polar opposites! And... most of all... I love how you're probably the most gorgeous guy on planet earth!" Mimi said to Koushiro who had listened to every single word she said, finding that there is genuine feelings from her. "Mimi... I'm so sorry, for running away. I just didn't know how to feel about it all. And even if there was that feeling, I felt joy. Joy in knowing there's someone like you out there who cares about me." The two then looked at each other with tear-stained eyes, and hugged each other.

Meanwhile, Taichi was with Simon when he recieved a message from Vulcanusmon. "Well Simon, looks like today's the day. The day Agumon and I earn some respect from an Olympus mon!" Taichi said to Simon, though Agumon seemed to be smiling quite a bit. "Alright! Now let's find us a way to get there!" Agumon said in enthusiasm. Simon looked at Guilmon, before dialing Takeru's number. "Hey TK, we need MagnaAngemon. Could you get over here?" Simon asked Takeru on the other end, before the aforementioned Tamer arrived with Patamon on his head. "You do know that we were barely apart right? You could've just texted me." Takeru responded to Simon, who answered "Well... Let's just say we didn't recieve this message until this point in time." Takeru sighed before slashing a blue card and evolving Patamon into MagnaAngemon. " **Heaven's Gate!** " MagnaAngemon said before opening a portal that led straight to the hub sector of the Digital World. "Well, c'mon! You can't just stand there and do nothing, after saying that you need me for something!" MagnaAngemon said before having Takeru jump into the portal.

Simon and the others had jumped into the portal... After the group arrived in the Digital World, it seemed that Vulcanusmon was waiting for the group in the center of the hub zone. "I see you've finally arrived Victory Tamer. And you've brought my opponent." Vulcanusmon said to Taichi who responded "You know damn well that we're both your opponent! So, if you fight Agumon! Then you fight me!" Vulcanusmon smirked and laughed. "I see, then you will make a fine opponent for me indeed! Fight with me Taichi Kamiya! Fight until you can no longer stand! And then we shall see if you two are worthy of my respect!" Vulcanusmon said as he prepared his numerous blades for the two. Taichi then inserted his core drill into his Digivice and merged with Agumon to become VictoryGreymon. VictoryGreymon pointed his blade at Vulcanusmon, who then pointed his at VictoryGreymon. The two stared each other down, while Simon and Takeru along with their partners decided to sit down and watch with some popcorn...

 **Will VictoryGreymon triumph over Vulcanusmon? Or will this prove to be too much for Taichi and Agumon!? Find out next time, on Digimon Tamers Crimson: Knights of Grim!  
Authors note: Been a while since I've done one of those huh? Well, proves that I can go back to old aspects about my story! Anyway, stay tuned to this and as always, Read and Review! I'm open to any constructive criticism that anyone can give me.**


	33. Red like Roses

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Digimon Tamers Crimson: Knights of Grim Episode 29: Red like Roses...

To some people, Mimi seemed like a very nice party girl. Always feeling like she owned the joint, practically making it her own thing. But to those who actually got to know her, she only did that to hide how she really felt inside. It was more than just Koushiro that she would miss from Japan. She would miss all her other friends like Sora, Yamato, Takeru and Hikari. Though most of all, was Koushiro whom she engaged in a relationship with at least three years ago. It was around the time when she felt like going out with someone, who didn't treat her like another pretty face. Which is what she wanted most of all. She wanted people to see her as just an average rich girl, who probably wanted nothing more than just friends. Though she does put up a facade in front of many people whom she parties with, deep down she felt that nobody wanted to be with her purely for who she is. They were with her either for the money, or her pretty face, or even her own body.

She was very charming to some people in America, and the one thing that did surprise people was that no matter who she was introduced to, she simply could not give a crap. Mimi would simply brush them off as someone who didn't really matter. Even Emir himself was afraid when he saw this display. And every day she would come back from a party, she would look out the window and think about her friends back home. Sometimes, being a spoiled rich kid isn't the best thing in the world. There were times when people were jealous of how wealthy she was, and other times where people just outright scowled at her purely because of her money. But despite all of that, she kept a smile because if she were to let that bother her, then she wouldn't be where she is today. Nowadays, she's currently thinking about her night with Koushiro at the hot springs, and because of how she treated him... She was conflicted about some things. When her parents asked how did her weekend go, she would just tell them that it went great, and all her friends were really nice to her. Though, Palmon with the months she spent with her... Could easily see through that facade.

Koushiro had ended up back home with Tentomon, quite lost in thought. Yesterday may have given him a new perspective on how Mimi feels about him, but he still feels like memories of three years ago lingered in his mind. It was just like back then, Mimi had been quite emotional when she had to leave and Koushiro seemed to be the only she'd express this to. Tentomon still looked on with concern, and felt that maybe he was hiding something. Koushiro's ability to see Digi-Code appeared to be somewhat fluctuating due to his emotional state, though he didn't really think about that part. "Tentomon, do you know what it's like to be a shoulder for someone to cry on?" Koushiro asked his partner who pondered the thought and responded "Well Izzy, I may have had a good friend... But I don't understand why humans would just transform into shoulders just for crying." Koushiro shook his head and said "It's a metaphor Tentomon. The expression is supposed to mean that, you're there in case someone is feeling very emotional, and they don't want to show that to anyone else. I know that Mimi says that I'm more to her than that, but it's just... I'm still just so, conflicted about it. And I think it's to the point that I don't really believe her. The worst part, is that I really want to believe her! But, it's just... I think my brain is trying to tell me no, and some other part of me is saying that I should believe in her. I just don't know what part that is."

Tentomon went a little closer to Koushiro and said "Well, I think there's another human metaphor that your mom told me. It's not up there that you should listen, but around here is where you should listen." Tentomon gestures Koushiro's heart. Koushiro then puts his hand on his heart and closes his eyes to listen. "I never really believed in that whole listen to your heart thing that mom told me. But, I think that maybe I should've tried believing in that. Because for once, I don't agree with what my head is telling me. For once, I'm agreeing with my heart... And all four of it's chambers." Tentomon then felt like he accomplished his mission and gave a sigh of relief. Koushiro left with Tentomon, to go see where Mimi lived in Shinjuku.

Mimi had taken a bit to look at her computer, before picking up Palmon and deciding to touch it. "I need to clear my head." Mimi said to herself before having Palmon open the portal to EDEN. Once Mimi arrived, she was still very mystified about all the sights to see in EDEN. "Welcome, how may I help you Miss..." Jesmon started before Mimi responded "I'm Mimi Tachikawa and this is Palmon!" Jesmon nodded and then looked up. "I see that, someone else might be arriving in this world as well..." Jesmon said to Mimi, before she looked up and saw Koushiro and Tentomon slowly floating down into EDEN. Koushiro looked around, and saw that they were once again in EDEN. "Hey Izzy! Isn't this that EDEN place you mentioned to me once?" Tentomon asked Koushiro who answered "Well technically this isn't really EDEN. But it's close enough to the original program. The funny thing, is that a couple of kids like me and Taichi were in an experiment to determine whether or not the system could work for modern day." Tentomon then pondered what exactly happened to those children.

"Unfortunately, the experiment ended in failure, and one of the children was killed during it all. Nowadays, it serves as a medium between the human world and the Digital World. A place where we can explore, and behold every sight the world above has to offer." Jesmon said to Tentomon, answering his question which he never asked. "Oh! It's one of the almighty Royal Knights! Jesmon!" Tentomon said before hovering down to the ground and bowing. "Koushiro Izumi, correct?" Jesmon asked Koushiro who nodded before having Mimi come over to him. "I believe that this girl mentioned you to me. Though, the thing is... She didn't tell me much, other than the two of you are in a somewhat intimate relationship." Koushiro sighed at Jesmon's statement before looking at Mimi. "Mimi, I know that you must be mad at me for following you... But I came to tell you something very important." Koushiro said to Mimi who responded "Well, the funny thing, is that I wanted to clear my head and try telling you something along those lines." Koushiro blushed and scratched the back of his head.

* * *

Meanwhile...

VictoryGreymon and Vulcanusmon were locked in an epic duel. One that would determine if Taichi and VictoryGreymon were worthy of any respect from the olympus mon. Taichi in his data core looked with determination, and was willing to see this battle all the way through. Vulcanusmon had sported a smile on his face, willing to find out if this half of Omnimon has what it takes to overcome him. And it seemed that Simon and Takeru were watching this, like it was an average game of soccer. "So... Who do you think will win? Tai or Vulcanusmon?" Simon asked Takeru who responded "I'm obligated to root for Tai, but Vulcanusmon seems to be a bit more powerful." Simon then took some popcorn and ate it. EBEmon sat down with Simon and Takeru, watching the entire duel. "Do you think that it's possible to side with both?" EBEmon asked the two, and they both pondered the question. "I'm not sure if that's do-able, but I can see why you'd want to. You're seeing your long time master duke it out with someone who is not only our friend, but your friend as well. So considering that, it must be a bit difficult to decide." Guilmon answered for both Simon and Takeru.

Patamon flew up to EBEmon and said "And like a lot of things, just go with what your heart tells you. Usually it's right more often than the brain." EBEmon then remembers that Vulcanusmon told him the same thing, and continued to look at himself. Vulcanusmon seemed to be losing ground to VictoryGreymon, but immediately picking it back up after losing it. The same could be said for VictoryGreymon, which over all meant that the battle was very split down the middle. "And some people wonder why Dragon Ball Z isn't getting the same amount of praise it used to back then. Nowadays, fights like this are treated like it's boring, when it's really interesting how it will turn out. From the look of things, they're both wearing each other out and slowly, but steadily breaking the other's strategy. Although, there is one trick to these kinds of fights..." Simon said pointing out the fight's even scale. EBEmon looked at Simon and asked "And what factor might that be?" Simon sported a neutral expression on his face, and answered "Well, it's who has the hidden trick behind their whole strategy. Though it may be a war of attrition, one side usually has a trick or two up their sleeve. Or in this case, their coding..."

As the two were somewhat panting, Vulcanusmon stuck his old blades into the ground. Though, they were both equally panting. "I see that you're starting to wear down. If you surrender now, I can guarantee you your complete safety. Otherwise, you'll have to face my full might." VictoryGreymon smirked and responded "Oh no, I'm not getting tired. But you definitely are. And besides, I can keep this up all day long. Also, with you using your full power... It'd be a nice change of pace." Vulcanusmon sighed before bringing out six powerful blades from his coding. "Behold! These are the legendary weapons I have crafted for this moment, Though their originals are with their current owners... They are still within my coding as well! And I can summon them at any given point! So, I believe you'd like to start praying right about now!" Vulcanusmon charged in, with what appeared to be copies of both Gallantmon's original lance and Craniamon's spear. VictoryGreymon tried jumping over Vulcanusmon, only to nearly receive two blows from both a copy of Omnimon's Grey Sword, and Mjolnir. "That hammer he carries is the same one he uses for blacksmithing! Mjolnir is a hammer made for another powerful Digimon... But it was made much bigger for that one!" EBEmon said to the others.

Vulcanusmon also appeared to be using two more blades of unknown origin. "Jeez! How many powerful weapons does this guy have!?" Taichi asked within his data core. VictoryGreymon looked at his partner and responded "This guy seems to be giving me more trouble than UlforceVeedramon! And that guy was ridiculously fast! So any ideas!?" Taichi pondered their next strategy. "Okay, I know you're probably gonna hate me for this... But I do have a plan." Taichi said to VictoryGreymon who then responded "I'm listening..." Taichi then thought about it and said "How about we try to destroy all six copies in one strike? That way, we can then land a blow on Vulcanusmon." VictoryGreymon then looked over at Simon and sighed before taking a pose. "If this is our best strategy... Then who am I to oppose?" VictoryGreymon asked himself while raising his sword up above his head. Simon looks at this strategy and realizes what he's about to do.

* * *

Meanwhile, with Koushiro and Mimi...

Both Tamers were given a somewhat grand tour of EDEN. Koushiro was trying to contain the amount of words he had to say, just for this community alone. Mimi was looking at him, still wondering if yesterday's events were still affecting him. Tentomon was following Jesmon intently, while Palmon was looking at all the cool sites they found. "So, as you can see we have made what was once a broken piece of data, into a very stable community for millions of Digimon. And we have recently integrated this with the Digital World, so that two-way travel will be very much possible. When I have gained my ability to warp evolve into this form, I swore to protect this community from whatever dares to threaten it. To make right on what my bretherin of the Royal Knights have done to my home. Though Imperialdramon and Gallantmon are exceptions to this rule. Any questions?" Jesmon said to the group, before Tentomon raised his hand and asked "So, what about Digimon that are just as powerful as you are? Would you accept assistance from them? Or would you shrug it off?"

Jesmon then answered "I am willing to accept assistance from any Digimon at my strength or greater. Even Ultimate levels that have the capability of a mega level, would be able to assist me." Tentomon was a bit surprised by his honesty. Palmon then raised a hand and asked "Jesmon... Since Mimi is my Tamer, how could I gain a Mega Level form like you and Tentomon?" Jesmon pondered that thought, and looked at Koushiro before asking "Koushiro... Do you have a core drill?" Koushiro looked at Jesmon in confusion, until he pulled out the drill necklace he'd been wearing the whole time. "It's just hard to see underneath my shirt, but here it is. Why do you ask?" Jesmon examined it and answered "If your tamer does not possess this, nor any other method of evolving straight from Rookie level, or even Ultimate Level... Then a Mega form is not doable." Palmon then looked at Mimi, who shook her head. "I'm sorry Palmon, but one day... We'll be on par with everybody else. It's just... With this need of training, just to beat the bad guy... It just feels so, weird. It's not that I don't want to do it, but I just don't feel comfortable with looking forward to violence." Koushiro looked at Mimi's worried expression, and approaches her.

"Mimi, I think whatever your Mega form turns out to be will be spectacular. No matter how much you put into it." Koushiro said trying to reassure Mimi. It seemed that it worked, since Mimi appeared to be a bit happier from Koushiro's words. "Izzy, it's not what Mega form I get that's the issue. But really just getting one. How did you do it?" Mimi said to Koushiro who ponders how the others did it, and remembered. "You gotta believe in yourself and Palmon. I had to believe in our bond just to break Tentomon out of TyrantKabuterimon's control. And he was an Ultra level Digimon, like Omnimon, or even Gallantmon Crimson mode. But then again, those would probably be the only Ultra levels that I know. Since I haven't discovered any new Digimon that came here recently with that kind of potential." Koushiro answered Mimi who then nodded and looked at Palmon. "I'm guessing it's one of those dire situation things, that you guys deal with on a regular basis?" Mimi asked Koushiro who nodded.

He then closed his eyes and opened them again. "Izzy? What's with your eyes? They look like the eyes of a robot." Mimi asked Koushiro who responded "I'm glad you asked Mimi. You see, I ended up merging pre-maturely with Tentomon, into HerculesKabuterimon. The problem with that, is all the coding and power ended up affecting my brain. And thus, whenever I close my eyes and open them again with immense concentration... I can see all sorts of Digi-Code. Although, this stuck me in the hospital for a few days. And my parents were very concerned about me." Mimi took a close look at Koushiro's eyes, which saw some Digi-Code surrounding Mimi and Palmon. "Is that what you've been filling that notebook with?" Mimi asked regarding the spare notebook Koushiro takes to school with him. Koushiro nodded in response and said "However, the problem with this ability is that... If I don't use it throughout my daily routine... This could end up messing with my brain. And I think I like my brain how it is." Mimi then looked into Koushiro's eyes and asked "What happens if I kiss you with that vision? Will it break like Windows 95?" Koushiro tried to think of a response, but found his lips were taken by Mimi. Surprisingly, his eyes were still open and actually focused on Mimi's face.

Jesmon looked at the display and asked Palmon "So is this what some humans do in a relationship?" Palmon shrugs her shoulders and responds "Sometimes it gets a little more... Intimate than that. At least, from what Mimi tells me." Jesmon then ponders what she means, and then looks over at Tentomon... Who is just as confused. "Humans are indeed a very curious species. The closest Digimon have ever gotten to that, is this activity known as bonding time. However, it's not something that Digimon usually attempt, due to their lack of need to. Our most primal instinct is to fight, and not much more. We may cherish as much as humans do, but we hardly see any benefit of that type of bond." Jesmon said while looking on at the couple. "Well Izzy, why don't we go to one of the rooftops?" Mimi asked Koushiro who nodded in agreement. Tentomon and Palmon followed the two, as they decided to enter one of the various Digital buildings. Jesmon looked upwards, and decided it's best to wait until he is needed for something.

Once they were at the top, Koushiro took a long look at the sky of the internet. "There's so much Digi-Code here. Not as much as the Digital World, but there's just... So much..." Koushiro said looking in awe at the whole thing. Mimi looks at Koushiro with a smile. "Izzy... Was there anything you deeply regret? About last night that is...? Cause, this whole thing's been bothering me too." Mimi asked Koushiro who then responded "Actually Mimi, I don't regret a thing. It's surprising, since there's normally something I'd feel a little regret for considering those events... But with this and meeting Tentomon, I haven't been having any regrets as of late. I got to bond further with my parents, meet new friends and finally see you again." Mimi then leans on Koushiro's shoulder and says "Koushiro... Do me a solid would you? Don't ever change who you are. You shouldn't have to change the geek that you are just for me. Always remember, that I love my nerd the way he is... And I never want that to change." Koushiro then put his arm around Mimi's shoulder and responded "Of course. I'll always be your little nerd." Mimi giggled a bit and traced a finger around his torso. "Not really little nerd, since you've gotten taller." Mimi says before sleeping on Koushiro...

* * *

Back in the Digital World...

VictoryGreymon, with his sword in position waited for Vulcanusmon to make a move. "I see... It's a very risky move, but I accept your challenge young one!" Vulcanusmon said while preparing his blades for the last stroke of the match. "What's Vulcanusmon talking about? Why is that a risky move?" EBEmon asked Simon and co. Takeru looked and asked "Isn't that the move you used against Vajramon?" Simon nodded and responded "Yep. Although, my technique was a tad bit more refined, Tai's got the better sword. But then again, as we are about to see here, the strength of the blade and it's wielder is what's going to determine the overall outcome of this battle." EBEmon looked at Simon and asked "How would the strength of the wielder affect the outcome?" Simon looked at EBEmon and answered "Well, sometimes you can throw a rock at something like a knife. And guess what? It'll break. But, let's just say that the person who threw the rock was much stronger than the one who threw the knife? Basically the rock would probably bounce right off the knife, and hit the thrower in the face as well as causing the knife's momentum to hit the ground rather than the person itself. And in this case, it ultimately depends on who's physically stronger."

EBEmon looked over at Vulcanusmon and wondered which of the two was stronger. The two Mega Level Digimon continued to stare at one another, and wait for a signal. They then struck at the exact same time, and it appeared that they both went through one another. The wind had been slightly blowing around the two. VictoryGreymon stored his sword away, and Vulcanusmon did the same with his blades. The two turned to bow to each other... And immediately fell backwards. VictoryGreymon had changed back into Taichi and Agumon, while Vulcanusmon was significantly worn out. "Master! Are you okay!?" EBEmon asked Vulcanusmon who raised a hand to EBEmon. "I'm fine. Though we did significant damage to one another, it's not enough to cause me to de-evolve. Although, at that moment I did feel genuine respect for one of Omnimon's two halves." Vulcanusmon said to EBEmon, calming the robotic Digimon's nerves.

Simon and Takeru helped Taichi up. He seemed to have taken just as much damage as Agumon, but he was in much better shape. "You okay champ?" Takeru asked Taichi who responded "Yeah... Just a little sleepy. That's all." Simon looks over at Agumon, who ended up falling asleep. Guilmon was carrying him on his back, just to avoid Patamon doing some of the heavy lifting. But that was mostly due Patamon, not being able to do all the heavy lifting. "Tell that Agumon, once he's regained consciousness that is... That he has earned the respect he wanted. It will take a small amount of time for the two of us to recover, so I think he'll be awakening soon." Vulcanusmon said to the group who nodded in response. "To think we just left the hot springs resort, just to come all the way to the Digital World, and find out these two are completely even." Simon said reflecting on the day so far. Takeru nodded and responded "The only way this day could get any weirder... Is if there were some kind of attack going on."

Suddenly, the portal in the center of the hub zone happened to be very active. "Well... I'm guessing someone wanted to grant your request TK." Simon said to Takeru before rushing over there, with Taichi still in their arms. Guilmon sighed before following his Tamer with Patamon and Agumon. Once they approached the portal, it appeared to be very active... And it started swirling in circles. Simon looked down at the portal and said "I wonder how bad is the fight going on right now...?" When he dipped his face into the portal, an explosion happened to have come out. And when Simon emerged from the portal, his face and parts of his hair was singed. Takeru then burst into a fit of laughter, all while dropping Taichi. "Was it worth it?" Simon asked Takeru who after laughing responded "Yep! Totally worth it!" Simon sighed before he let his healing factor heal the burns on his face and hair. Though, luckily for him the singes weren't all that bad and he healed relatively quickly. "I saw that Lillymon and HerculesKabuterimon were busy fighting the creature... And I gotta say: If Mimi doesn't get a core drill for Palmon... She and Izzy might be doomed."

Takeru tilted his head in confusion and asked "Why? What's the matter?" Simon then answered "It's because that Digimon is a very powerful Mega Level. Capable of probably taking down EDEN. So, if she doesn't get a core drill, rely on Emir's convenient method or we don't get in there... They're doomed." Takeru was very much confused, until he looked into the portal himself and saw what appeared to be a large muscular Digimon causing mass hysteria throughout EDEN. "Well... Shit." Takeru said to himself before looking back at Simon. "If VictoryGreymon were still available, I'm sure he could go down there and kick his ass." Simon said regarding the situation. Taichi then responded "Yeah, well right now Agumon needs to rest. And you said Izzy and Mimi are down there?" Simon nodded and looked into the portal, surveying the battle. "Right now, we just need to hang tight and see how this battle plays out. If they look like they're severely losing, we jump in and help them. But if not, then we hang back and watch the fireworks." Simon said to the others, while Taichi sneers at him.

"Look, if we help them... What do we prove? All we prove is that everybody but a select few individuals are capable of winning the day. If they can't beat this guy, then we wouldn't fare any better than Mimi. It's said that a team is only as strong as their weakest member. And at this point it's her. So unless she and Izzy can beat that green can of beef, I don't think we would stand a chance against it either." Simon said to Taichi who responded "It's life or death! If you think that this is some kind of training excersize, then I don't know how the hell you ever got picked as leader!" Simon smirked and said "Funny thing, I never wanted to be leader. I wanted the smartest person at the time, which was Henry to lead the team. But everyone vouched for me, since I'm capable of taking that type of initiative. Over time, I've been told that if I keep saving everyone, I'm essentially coddling them. Though they may be my friends, I know that I can have faith in them, because they would have the same faith in me. So, would you kindly sit down and wait!" The three Tamers then just sat and watched through the portal...

* * *

Earlier in EDEN...

There was a sudden disturbance in EDEN. A dark portal had opened to reveal what appeared to be a green, muscle bound humanoid giant. Though he wasn't nearly the size of one, he was giant compared to most of the Digimon within EDEN. The giant then raised a single edged sword, with a dragon skull as the cross-guard and bones as the handle. Though, the sword was much bigger than he was, he seemed to handle it with just a single hand. He then strikes the ground with the sword, causing a huge shockwave in the city. This ended up waking up Mimi, who looked on at the giant before analyzing it. "Let's see... Titamon, Virus Type, Mega Level. Attacks are: Soul Core attack, Phantom Blade unscarred, and Pact with the nether god." Mimi said quoting her Digivice. When she saw that the creature was indeed Titamon, she remembered what Ogremon wanted to become... And was extremely shocked. "Izzy! That's Ogremon!" Mimi said to Koushiro who responded "If that's the case, then if he's here... He must have wanted something pretty big." Mimi looked at Titamon and pondered what could possibly be big enough for this creature. She then remembered BanchoLeomon was his objective, and decided to go down there and reason with him.

"Palmon, I need you to evolve into Togemon and help me get to Titamon. I gotta try to reason with it!" Mimi said to Palmon who then evolved into Togemon. They jumped off the building and Tentomon looked at Koushiro before asking "Are we gonna follow them? Or do we wait and see?" Koushiro shook his head before inserting his core drill into his Digivice, with Tentomon following him off the building. Mimi and Togemon approached Titamon and Mimi walked off of Togemon. "Ogremon! Do you remember me? It's Mimi! You know, one of the Tamers! If it's BanchoLeomon you want, he's not here! Are you listening to me!?" Mimi said to Titamon who looked at Mimi in curiosity. Suddenly, Titamon gripped his head in pain and raised his blade against Mimi. As he was about to strike her down, HerculesKabuterimon had used his momentum to strike the blade with his horn, so that it would impact nearby her and Togemon.

"Huh!? Who are you?" Mimi asked HerculesKabuterimon who then scooped her and Togemon up and away from Titamon. "It's me Izzy! Me and Tentomon are currently merged together as HerculesKabuterimon." Koushiro answered from within his data sphere. Which despite having practiced in this form, still makes him uncomfortable. Mimi seemed a bit confused by the fact that her boyfriend... Had become a Digimon. And that Digimon was talking to her with Tentomon's voice. "Alright, so now what?" Mimi asked HerculesKabuterimon, who then answered "Unfortunately, it seems that he's somehow fallen under Yggdrasil's influence. And unless we want him to cause massive destruction, we have to end him here and now." Mimi seemed to hesitate for a moment. As though, she really didn't want to do this. Titamon was a Digimon that was spared because of his good heart. But now, that heart was taken over by something of pure evil. She then swiped a blue card, and Togemon proceeded to evolve into Lilymon. "Mimi, what's going on? Are we fighting?" Lilymon asked Mimi who responded "You are, I'm not. I don't want to see Ogremon killed, so I'm sorry if I don't want to kill anyone."

Lilymon was about to say something, until HerculesKabuterimon said "No. It's better if she doesn't see this. I don't want to do this to him either, but unfortunately, we don't have a choice. It's either him, or this world and possibly the Digital World." Lilymon then nodded before heading off with HerculesKabuterimon. Mimi then covered her face with her hands, almost sobbing at the prospect of killing a friend. Jesmon would engage Titamon, but he had to deal with the legions of the undead that he summoned to fight. "I wish that some form of back up would show up!" Jesmon said before a large lion fist appeared and incinerated a group of warriors behind Jesmon. BanchoLeomon had appeared to Jesmon, and tipped his hat to him. "I don't know if this is an honor, or a shame. But It looks like we'll be working together Royal Knight." BanchoLeomon said to Jesmon who responded "Of course, I only wish to atone for what the Knights did to the Digital World and many others..."

As those two were fighting, it appears that both a projection of Yggdrasil and Grima were on a rooftop. "Beautiful isn't it? All this chaos, and Jesmon can barely fend off a horde of zombies..." Yggdrasil looked with what appeared to be a distorted grin on his face. "It's magnificent my lord! Soon, EDEN will fall! And there won't be anything the Tamers can do about it!" Yggdrasil said, basking in the glory of their most recent achievement. "To think, that desperation would cause that idiot Ogremon to choose our power. He had lost almost everything in that arena. Though they tried to help, but in the end... No one could possibly convince Titamon to change now. He is far too powerful to be swayed by mere words. And so, the tradgedy is that the Tamer's newest friend... Is doomed to fall here, in this city... Should they muster up any courage at all." Yggdrasil then looked over at HerculesKabuterimon and Lilymon, who were doing their best to hold off Titamon. And saw that there was beauty in both triumph and failure. Though, that failure has yet to happen. And soon, everything will fall into place.

Mimi had decided to walk down one of the abandoned streets, and looking at herself. "I can't believe this. After all I went through, and some of the training I did with Izzy... I have to kill someone who I saw as a friend. And... And I just... I don't wanna! I just want things to be how they should! No friends would have to fight each other! And everybody would be nice to each other, and see that friendship is important. But... Why this!? Why does it have to be something like this!?" Mimi said to herself before crying. Suddenly, she saw Lilymon, de-evolved back into Palmon and HerculesKabuterimon pinned to the ground. "Izzy... No..." Mimi said before she suddenly felt her legs moving on her own. Palmon saw this and immediately jumped in front of Titamon's potential strike. Mimi saw this and realized something else that she wanted. "I want... I want... I want..." Mimi was thinking to herself, before she cradled Palmon in her arms, preparing for the end. "I want to protect my closest friends..." Mimi thought to herself before a green glow took over her and Palmon...

* * *

Mimi seemed to be in a very strange place, one that was almost entirely green. She then looked down at herself, and sighed. "I guess something must've happened, otherwise... I'd think this was some kind of heaven." Mimi said to herself before looking around to see if Palmon was okay. "Palmon! Where are you!?" Mimi yelled before hearing what appeared to be Palmon's voice. "Mimi, I hear you. But I think that, we've combined." Palmon said to Mimi who responded "Alright, what do we look like?" Palmon pondered Mimi's question and answered "Well... I'm sure Izzy will love this new form of ours." Suddenly, Mimi looked down, using Palmon's eyes and saw herself as what appeared to be an average sized humanoid Digimon. Wearing what appeared to be a red leotard, with black leggings and heels. Though the leotard itself doesn't really cover the midriff, and only covers enough of her cleavage so that nothing is seen. Her red gloves extended up to her biceps, and she wore a green cowl which appeared to be made of leaves. Her mouth was the only feature on her face that was shown, since her entire face is covered by rose petals.

There was also the issue that she was carrying, what appeared to be a thorn wand and thorn whip, that extended all the way to her chest, nearby her beret named Tiaferet. "This. Is. BEAUTIFUL! I gotta tell the others once we get back home... But first things first!" Mimi said to herself, after getting excited about the form she was in. She had stood on top of HerculesKabuterimon and used her thorn wand's magic to heal him. Koushiro inside his data core, woke up along with Tentomon and asked "Did anyone get the number of that... Truck?" He then saw Mimi in her data core standing over him. He started to get a bit flustered and said "Mimi! You're..." Mimi then giggled and responded "There's no need to comment. I know what's going on. Right now, we've got this big guy... Who just regained his sight." HerculesKabuterimon and Rosemon then looked over at Titamon, who had indeed been blinded by the light emitted from Mimi and Palmon. Rosemon then pointed her wand, which turned into what appeared to be a rapier and struck Titamon's pressure point on his arm. This caused his arm to go numb, due to the properties of her thorn blade.

She then jumped up into the air and said " **Forbidden Temptation!** " Before launching several petals at him, which then exploded and caused him to lose his balance. Simon, watching the fight pulled his head back up and analyzed the new Digimon. "Rosemon, Data Type, Mega Level. Attacks are: Thorn whip, Rose Rapier, Forbidden Temptation, Ivy Hug, Rose Cradle, and Fascination." Simon said quoting his digivice. "TK... Judging by Rosemon's appearance, I'd say we've got more competition in terms of who's the sexiest Digimon on our team." Simon said to Takeru who looked and responded "I'll be damned. You're right. She is hot." Taichi sighed and looked in there himself. When he pulled his head back up, his nose had blood dripping from it. Simon looked at him with a neutral expression and said "Really? You have Sora, and yet you end up with a nosebleed from Mimi's Digimon?"

Takeru then snickered and responded "This coming from the guy with a Beelstarmon fetish." Simon then glared at Takeru and said "I keep telling you, time and time again... That thing's breasts are not real! And I don't have a single picture of it on my computer. So how in the hell could I have a fetish about something like that!?" Taichi seems out of the loop and asks "What's this about?" Simon sighed and answered "TK and the rest of Xros Heart decided to crack jokes that, I have a fetish for the rule 63 variant of Beelzemon. Which is Beelstarmon. They have yet to provide any proof of that notion, and I don't really like absurdly large busts! Rosemon, just so you know, has an average size bust." Takeru then pulls up a picture of Beelstarmon on his phone and shows it to Taichi... Who then ends up passed out, due to blood loss from his nose. "TK... I want you to delete that and any other picture of that, thing on your phone!" Simon says to Takeru who sighs and responds "Yeesh, you're still as crabby as ever. But at least this gives me additional ammunition towards angering you." He then deletes the picture and looks back into the portal to watch the fight.

* * *

Back in EDEN...

Jesmon and BanchoLeomon had dealt with the last of Titamon's undead army, and looked over at the monster itself. "That thing was once my rival, Ogremon." BanchoLeomon pointed out to Jesmon who responded "Strange... How do you think he gained such power?" BanchoLeomon pondered Jesmon's question and answered "That darkness, the one that's exuding from Titamon... Had taken a brother of mine. Though, it was purely for a sadistic experiment from Yggdrasil. He had tried to unleash the demon lord within Impmon." Jesmon then asked "You mean Beelzemon? I apologize. I refer to most species of Digimon by their most well known form." BanchoLeomon answered "Yes. He wanted to see if they could spark some form of chaos. However, it seems that Impmon was able to overcome that with the help of his Tamer. Although, in recent visits I have noticed him getting a lot more protective towards her." Jesmon then looked over at the rooftops, and saw the projections of both Grima and Yggdrasil. "If you're looking for those sadistic creatures... They're up there." Jesmon said to BanchoLeomon who looked over with anger.

"I see them, they think that this is some kind of spectators' sport! If only they were actually here! I'd destroy them myself!" BanchoLeomon shouted. Grima looked on with intrigue at the two Digimon who spotted him and said "Well, I guess that's our cue to stop observing. Yggdrasil... We're leaving." Yggdrasil then used his powers to make the projections disappear. Jesmon then looked back at Titamon, and saw that Rosemon and HerculesKabuterimon have him well under control. HerculesKabuterimon decided to take to the skies, and start hitting him with bolts of lighting and large laser beams. While Rosemon stuck close to Titamon and gave support to her ally in the sky. BanchoLeomon noticed that Titamon was surprisingly getting worn down, and not using his blade to counter any of these attacks like earlier. Rosemon had also decided to numb the rest of his limbs which then prevented him from moving altogether. "Now! Let's finish him here!" Rosemon said before summoning more rose petals. " **Forbidden Temptation/Mega Electro Shocker!** " They said at the same time, launching their attacks that had finally ended Titamon.

The two Mega Level Digimon floated back downwards towards the surface of EDEN, where it seemed that Titamon was slowly disintegrating. However, the dark aura that surrounded it had faded when he was defeated. Rosemon, HerculesKabuterimon, BanchoLeomon and Jesmon went over to Titamon... Just so he wouldn't be alone as he dies. "I'm sorry... For letting myself become weak. And accepting the offer of darkness. Losing that tournament really made me feel like an idiot huh?" Titamon says to the others, apologizing to them. BanchoLeomon then grasped Titamon's left hand, while Rosemon grasped his right hand. "We're here for you." BanchoLeomon said to Titamon while Rosemon and the others nodded. "It's not your fault Ogremon. They just knew how to play you, and... I really wish this could've ended differently." Rosemon said before splitting back into Mimi and Palmon. HerculesKabuterimon split back into Koushiro and Tentomon, just as he was approaching Mimi. He put a hand on her shoulder, to show that he felt the same way and it's okay to be sad.

"I know that this sounds stupid, but you have to understand that... I'm just a fool. A fool who believed that he could one day beat his nemesis in combat. But only to see that, he will always outmatch me. So don't pity me, just remember me as I was. Not as I am now. And maybe someday, if I'm reincarnated... I'll be able to find the proper way of getting strong." Titamon said while looking up into the sky. BanchoLeomon knew that, if you died outside the Digital World... It's game over. Though, some were lucky in that they were reduced to eggs like Omnimon. Unfortunately for Titamon, that wasn't to be the case. "Yes, I'm sure I'll see you again. One way or another. And I'll remember your face." BanchoLeomon said to reassure Titamon as he smiled. "Good. I just... Wanted... To make... Sure..." Titamon said before he finally lost consciousness and faded away for good. Jesmon had felt that with all his power, he should've been able to save him. And then he noticed that the Digimon were still suffering from hallucinations that Titamon induced in them.

Mimi however, was crying into Koushiro's shoulders. Wondering why do all the nice Digimon have to die. "Mimi, I've been told that... Digimon under Yggdrasil's influence are likely better killed off. Just so he can't infect their eggs." Koushiro said to Mimi who then responded "But you guys told me he was a Virus type! He should've been able to resist that!" Koushiro sighed and said "Well Mimi, sometimes Yggdrasil's power has a different affect on Virus type Digimon. At least from what Nia told me of Impmon." After a while, Mimi had finally stopped crying and looked up. "If this is how things have been... I wanna help! I wanna make sure this never happens again! Could I... Please help you Izzy?" Mimi said to Koushiro who responded "You know, I actually feel the same way. Though that's actually been the case since I started. But I kept on fighting, knowing that someday this will all come to an end. At least, that's what Henry's told me." Mimi thought about what Koushiro said and asked "Henry's the kid with blue hair, right?" Koushiro nodded and Mimi then said "Is this why we ended up following Simon and the others? He's still hopelessly naive. But then again I can see why you're all eager to fight with him."

Koushiro then looked away and responded "It's not really like that, but I did hear that the best leaders are those who don't want the job." Mimi looked up to see that Takeru and Simon were watching the whole thing. "Jeez, they could've been helpful huh?" Mimi asked Koushiro who responded "Well, I assume they knew we could handle it. So they would probably charge in when we're pinned down." Mimi sighed and said "Well, at least they had faith in us." Koushiro shrugged his shoulders and saw that the Digimon around town, could use some healing. "Hey Mimi? Do you think Rosemon can heal all those Digimon?" Koushiro asked before Mimi responded "Say no more! I'll help these townsfolk and we'll get some more publicity points!" She then inserted the core drill she found around her neck, into her Digivice and merged with Palmon. Rosemon had used her magical properties to heal all the townsfolk, and it would seem that for now... Everything would go back to normal... Though as normal as it could possibly be.

 **つづく**


	34. Two of the best Miracles

The following is a non-profit Fanfiction. Digimon is owned by Toei Animation, Bandai, Akiyoshi Hongo and licensed by Saban Brands. Please support the official release, by buying the DVDs.

Digimon Tamers Crimson: Knights of Grim Episode 30: Two of the best miracles...

Two months have passed since Rosemon had assisted in the defeat of Titamon. Tensions were still a bit high, but not at the highest point. Considering that now, everybody was preparing for Christmas. Simon, still finds it surprsing that people in Japan do in fact celebrate the holiday. Though, that's partially for the profit many stores will make. But there are some that do have genuine enjoyment of the holiday... Despite it also being one of the most depressing as well. Throughout each household, each of the Tamers had a different way of wanting to spend Christmas. Though all of them wanted to do one thing... The Christmas concert with Yamato and Knife of Day. Gabumon and most of the other Digimon who just arrived in the Human World, would be spending their first Christmas with their Tamers. This will end up being Impmon, V-Mon, Gatomon, Wormmon and Patamon's second Christmas with their Tamers.

Guilmon, Renamon and Terriermon were pretty much veterans when it came to the holiday season... Though now, with a lot more friends. Simon was currently looking in a mall for something to give to Nia, who was now five months pregnant. He then remembered that they didn't do their math correctly, and realized that it was due in April rather than June. "Considering that's a major mistake on my end, we gotta adjust the schedule now. So instead of June, it's gonna have to be April!" Simon was saying on the phone with Erwin who responded "I know that, and it's starting to look very noticeable these days." Simon sighed and tried to think of something to say. "Look, when it's February that's when she'll have to stay home! For now, she's fine! Trust me! She's been through a lot worse than this one pregnancy." Simon said to Erwin who responded "Alright, just make sure everything's planned out and whatnot. I'll talk to you later!" Erwin hung up the phone and Simon sighed before putting his phone on rest mode.

"Guilmon, what the hell are we gonna do? I mean, first of all I'm gonna be looking for presents for all of Kittan's mercenary band including himself. Then I gotta find presents for Nia, and the rest of my friends... And then to top it all off a present for you along with a bit more decorations for the apartment." Simon said in a rant, before he noticed a DVD on display in a video store. "Well, Simon you could always tell Santa what I want. Then maybe he'll help you out... Simon?" Guilmon suggested to Simon who was then staring at the DVD in the store. "It's probably the best Christmas special I don't own yet... KISS Saves Santa! I gotta see if I could get it!" Simon said before running into the store. Guilmon looked at the DVD, but then noticed that someone took it. "Aww... Three, Two, One..." Guilmon said before greeting a somewhat disappointed Simon. "It's okay Simon. I'm sure it'll be back on shelves." Guilmon said trying to reassure his partner, who responded "Yeah... But I didn't want anyone to get it for me, since all I wanted was just some games and a Christmas party."

Guilmon then decided to walk with Simon through the mall, but unbeknowst to him Guilmon took Simon's phone from out of his pocket and texted Kittan about the movie. "And that should be mission accomplished!" Guilmon said before deciding to rejoin Simon, while stealthfully placing his cell phone back into his pocket. "Alright, so let's see... What would Dad want first of all?" Simon asked himself before looking through the automotive store. In the same mall, it appeared that Koushiro was by himself... Since he was off from work this day, he was able to shop around for his friends and loved ones. Though that was mostly the circle from the highton view terrace, but he still wanted to get something special... All while receiving an invitation to Simon's Christmas party on December 24th. Luckily, that was after Yamato's Christmas concert. He hasn't received any word from Takeru about VIP tickets, since there were a lot of people that were friends of Yamato.

Koushiro looked around various stores to find what he was looking for, while Tentomon was flying very low just to observe his current surroundings. "So Izzy, is this what people would normally do this time of year? Shopping just for things to give to people?" Tentomon asked Koushiro who responded "Well, it may not be a holiday everybody celebrates worldwide... But it is a season that everyone celebrates in some way. The most well known holidays around this time of year are, Christmas, Hannukah, and Kwanza. And during those times is when families that do celebrate this time of year, get together and exchange quite a number of things outside of presents. They exchange words, love and quite a lot of cheer. But the best thing to say to anyone, is just happy holidays. And not just Christmas." Tentomon was quite intrigued by Koushiro's words and continued to follow his Tamer around the stores. "Alright, I have another question... If Tai said that his dad is home during the day... How come he doesn't really talk about him until recently?" Tentomon asked Koushiro who answered "Well, Tai's father works during the night. But around this time of year, is when he's allowed to spend time with his family outside of sleeping in the bed all day. Which is why he wasn't there when Tai got home from the Digital World. His mom said that she was planning a Christmas surprise when he gets back home from shopping. At least, that's what Tai said."

Tentomon then sees Guilmon outside one of the stores, and waves to him. Guilmon waves back, but Simon and Koushiro don't really say anything to each other, due to not wanting the other to know what they're getting each other. Since that would really ruin the surprise. "Izzy, why don't you tell Simon and the others what you get them? I'm sure they'd love to know what it is..." Tentomon asked Koushiro who responded "Well Tentomon, it goes like this. Should you find out what you're getting from who too early, it ruins the surprise and thus, they're somewhat disappointed. So, since Simon knew we were here, he figured that we wouldn't want to know yet. And we'll have to wait until much, much, much later since it's still the first week of December."

* * *

Meanwhile at the apartment complex...

Susumu Kamiya had just got back from a shopping trip he did, just for the holidays... And he figured that, since he only needed to buy presents for one child in the house, it would be a tad bit easier. Sometimes, he wondered why Hikari still believed that Taichi was still alive, when he knew for a fact that he disappeared without a trace. Leaving behind his goggles. "Sometimes I wonder if I'm missing something... It's probably just the glasses, I'll just go put them on and-" Susumu was saying before he walked in to see Yuko setting up some Christmas decorations... With Hikari arguing with someone about who gets to put the star on top of the tree. "Um..." Susumu was about to say something, but Yuko greeted him and said "Welcome home honey, how was your trip?" Susumu then pointed towards the two and asked "Yuko... Who's that with Kari? Cause last time I checked, the only one with goggles that visited was Davis. And that was last year." Yuko smiled and answered "Why, that's Tai. He came back home to us a while ago."

Susumu looked on in disbelief at Taichi, who then turned to see his father while waving his hand. Susumu approaches Taichi and asks "Is... Is that really you Tai? Are you really my boy?" Taichi looks away for a bit and responds "Yeah dad... I'm home." Susumu then gives Taichi a hug and almost starts crying. "You have no idea... How much I missed you! I don't even get to see my baby girl do much... But now I couldn't even see my son come back home! You must really hate me right now." Susumu was saying, expecting Taichi to not return the hug, only for Taichi to return it and respond "Dad... I missed you and mom so much. I wanted to tell you about all the adventures I've been on, as well as all the new friends I've made! Plus, I'm kind of in the same league as Kari." Susumu was confused by what Taichi meant until Hikari said "He's got a girlfriend. More specifically, Sora's his girlfriend." Susumu looks back at his son and says "Wow... It feels like, I-" Taichi then finished for him saying "That you missed a lot? Trust me, I already feel that way after six years of being absent." Susumu was really shocked about the amount of time he's been away.

Much later in the apartment, Taichi gave a recap about what had been happening over the past six years. Meeting Agumon, fighting a few of Yggdrasil's cronies, meeting Taiki, Kiriha, Greymon and Shoutmon of Xros Heart and fighting Bagra's Army. Though, he did also mention meeting Simon and his gang, along with his reunion with Hikari. Though he's still a bit angry at Hikari's somewhat close relationship with Daisuke. That was mostly due to the fact that, he finds out his little sister is seen with a guy her age, and he might have corrupted her. "So yeah, that's basically the gist of it. All six years, of me fighting in the Digital World... And finding out that a group of Tamers along with my sister were able to take me back home. Though, at first I wasn't too sure, but Kari here said that you guys would really love to see me." Taichi said finishing his story. Susumu was quite shocked to hear the whole story, and saw that Taichi was actually wearing a school uniform today, which meant that he is now going back to school.

"You forgot to mention the part on how you got back into school." Susumu said to Taichi who looked down and responded "Well, you should thank mom and Kari here for helping me get caught up. It's a little bit of a shame that I can't go out and practice soccer this time of year, but hey! At least, because of all the snow. So yeah it's been a good Senior year so far." Susumu felt a bit strange seeing his son go from Elementary school to High School after years of being in the Digital World. "Well, at least I have proof of you being here as well as your six years in the Digital World. So, you're Agumon huh?" Susumu said to Taichi before looking at Agumon who then bowed in respect to Taichi's father. "I am honored to be in the prescense of the great man who helped shape my great partner. Tell me, what strength discipline did you put him through to become this brave?" Agumon asked Susumu who responded "I didn't really do anything, I mean I know I'm stubborn, but not stubborn enough to do the things you and Tai described. And besides, he's probably braver than I ever could be. Hell, I don't even get up in the morning to greet Kari so I'm not a big influence in the house."

Agumon seems confused until Hikari says "His job is at night. So every day, he'd fall asleep during the morning till I fall asleep, and he's working through the night shift till around 8am. And then he goes back to sleep by the time me and Tai leave for school. So, until the holidays or days off he doesn't really end up spending too much time with his family." Agumon then asks Susumu "Then why would you take a job like that?" Susumu sighs and answers "Because besides what Yuko does on a daily basis, it pays to keep this roof over our heads. I'm not sure what you Digimon do in your world, but right now we're celebrating a time where we sit and relax... Of course that's after the chaos of shopping." Agumon then perks up and asks "Tell me... What is shopping like? Is there epic battles to the death? And is there a prize at the end of it all?" Susumu and Yuko both have sheepish grins on their faces, wondering how they're going to explain things to Agumon. Although, there was a knock on the door. "Come in Davis!" Yuko yelled across the room, to which Daisuke did appear...

Wearing a winter jacket, long pants, boots and orange gloves. "Sorry! I just got held up by the snow!" Daisuke said as he was entering the apartment with V-Mon. V-Mon jumped from Daisuke's arms onto the floor and said "I guess humans don't have as much internal heat as I thought." Daisuke sighed and responded "V-Mon, we aren't like you. If our internal heat gets too high, we end up having a fever." Hikari ran up to Daisuke and hugged him. "And now you see my problem with this relationship." Taichi said to Susumu who didn't see anything wrong with it at all. "She gets up and practically glomps him, not even sure if he wants it." Taichi added, though Daisuke responded "It's something I come to expect, so it's not all that bad to be honest. Hi Susumu!" Susumu then said "Right back at you Davis!" Hikari then giggled at the prospect of the end of Simon's party. "Oh Davis... You'll love what I have for you at the party." Hikari said to Daisuke who responded "I bet it's the same thing I got you..." The five along with the kid's Digimon sat down and talked about their respective days... Awaiting the Christmas concert...

* * *

December 23, 2014...

Simon and co. met up with Takeru, though it seemed that literally all the Tamers and Xros Heart barring Yamato made it to Takeru's house. Natsuko had seen them all in the living room and was a bit surprised to see everyone... Including Koushiro, Sora and Mimi. "Well TK, you said this would be a good date for me and Henry... So let's see those tickets." Rika said to Takeru and Henry added "It's great that offered this to all of us, so thank you." Takeru then pulled out the VIP passes for everyone and responded "Alright you guys, here's your things. Although intially, Matt didn't want to give a VIP pass to Simon." Simon sighed and said "He's still so spiteful." Takeru then finished saying "Yeah, I decided to sneak one for our fearless leader!" He saw the VIP pass for him and took it. "Thanks TK. You didn't have to do this. I would've paid for my own ticket anyway." Takeru sighed at Simon's statement and responded "Always the stoic one huh? At least this way, you're with all your friends and your beautiful girlfriend." Nia then leaned on Simon's shoulder out of affection. Suzie looked at her VIP pass and put it over her neck.

"This is like that time you went to a convention with Simon, and you came home with a pass on your neck." Suzie said to Henry who scratched the back of his head at that memory. "It wasn't really anything special. Just something to let people know how long you're sticking around." Henry responded to Suzie, though Taichi and the rest of Xros Heart were a tad bit curious about what con he was talking about. "It's like your stereotypical anime convention. I had gone in dressed as Scorpion from Mortal Kombat, hoping that Henry would be Sub-Zero or at least Reptile... But then he ended up dressing up as that Teddie mascot from Yasoinaba. Unfortunately, the suit was a bit too hot for him." Simon was explaining the details of the convention to Xros Heart, though Rika was a bit curious about how hot the costume was. "Henry, how bad was it?" Rika asked Henry who responded "By the time I came home, I was butt naked." Rika felt a small blush creep on her cheeks... Though Mimi didn't seem fazed due to Koushiro.

Mimi then looked at Simon and asked "Simon, tell me something... That Nene girl from the pageant, started flirting with Izzy here, and my Izzy senses went off. Do you know anything about that?" Simon shook his head and responded "I haven't seen that Nene girl since the pageant. I'd think maybe the others have seen her." Nia sighed before remembering something important. "Simon, that Nene girl wanted something very important from me and the others of our new group." Nia said to Simon who responded "Well, when that bridge comes, you'll cross it. Whatever it is, I know you and our little baby can overcome anything along with Impmon and the rest of the girls." Mimi decided to jot down that little bit of information and keep it to herself. Sora however, was really confused and decided not to ask. "So, you got your math incorrect?" Koushiro asked Simon and Nia. Simon answered "Yes, and the baby is due in April. Maybe it'll be due around Spring break... Who knows?" Koushiro then felt a little more intrigued.

Taiki and Kiriha felt relief since both their Digimon could watch from their Xros Loaders. Though, the others would end up having to be plush toys with their Tamers. "So, is the party gonna be overnight... Or no?" Kiriha asked Simon who responded "Honestly, it can't be overnight. Since, you all have your family obligations. So I'd prefer the party end around 7pm, just so you'd all be able to go home and see your families. And yes, this was hard for me to arrange." Everybody was wondering just what were they gonna do at Simon's apartment when the party rolled around. Though, that thought had to be cut off due to the need to get to the concert asap. Luckily, everyone was able to use their Digimon to get to the concert. Nia was a bit cautious around Behemoth, since she was pregnant with Simon's child she feared what the possessed bike could do to her baby should she lose herself. Though, when she's Beelzemon she has no problem with Behemoth, due to Beelzemon's prescience. Once they got to the concert hall, they took advantage of their VIP passes and went to see Yamato.

"Hey TK! Thanks for bringing all your friends... And Simon." Yamato said to Takeru, while Simon rolled his eyes at Yamato's stealth insult. "No problem Matt. I just thought that they deserved to see you guys from the best seats. And besides, Knife of Day is gonna make a killing!" Mimi and Simon both giggled at the band name, with Yamato looking at them with a scowl. "Well Yamato, we got 10 minutes before our concert starts so let's get to rehearsing." The band member playing keyboard said to Yamato who sighed before responding "Alright, places people! Let's give our guests a little tast of what's to come!" Simon and co. then took their seats and waited for the time. After a while, the concert hall started to get filled and more people came to see Knife of Day. While they were playing, Simon whispered in Taichi's ear "You know what would be weird? If Matt one day decided to become an astronaut."

Taichi seemed very confused by Simon's statement and asked "Why would he do that? His band seems to be working very perfectly for him. And plus, it probably pays well." Simon then looks back at Taichi and responds "That's mostly based on the weird assumption that, one day he'd want to acheive something with Gabumon. Which is being the first Tamer/Digimon team on the moon, and by the way... That's completely untrue, since Me and Guilmon already did that... Testing out our new flight pack from our friend Grani." Taichi then gave Simon a quizzical look and said "Wow, I never thought you'd be that eager to cross one off the bucket list." Simon shrugs his shoulders and responds "Hey, you only live once." Kiriha was getting a bit bored by listening to the music, though he was determined to stay because of his friends. The moment the slow song hits, is the moment where everyone raises their touch phones and the Tamers, along with Xros Heart raise their Digivices and Xros Loaders in the air, just to wave them around. Though to most people, that would be tradition to do at a concert... Which some people were a bit confused about the Digivices, but didn't really care as long as they all enjoy the show.

* * *

December 24th, 2014...

Simon was getting the apartment ready for his party, and it seems to be quite pressuring him... Since he hasn't had this many guests over at once. "Usually we reconvene at the park or at Nia, Ken or TK's place. So, considering the living space I have and how many guests are coming over, of course I'm pressured to make sure I'm a good host." Simon said to Guilmon who seemed to look outside, curious about the snow that he had experienced quite a few times before. "You know, the Digital World doesn't have nearly this much snow. Usually it has just a very small isolated area. And seeing it in this world, really makes me wonder how we managed to put this in our memories..." Guilmon said to Simon, while continuing to stare awestruck at the sight before him. Simon had looked through the closet, just to see if there was anything else he could put up. So far, he put up quite a large amount of banners around the walls of his apartment, a wreath on his front door and nearby the refridgerator. He also made sure the Christmas tree was clear of anything that people would want to stand near.

And speaking of the tree, Simon had filled it with quite a large amount of ornaments and had a star that lit up along with the Christmas lights surrounding the tree. Although, Simon looked back into the closet and made sure the Christmas presents he got for everyone was inside. Luckily they were, and completely intact. He knew that he'd be having a Christmas party with Kittan and his fellow mercenaries... But he decided to pour his attention onto the party currently at hand. He also looked through his closet for his Shadow Tamer uniform, which after many remodifications is about as good as it's going to get for now. It had new armor plating that was flexible enough to fit in the case along with Falchion. Though, at first it looked like a bit much... But then again, so were all the decorations. He decided to pre-heat his oven for the Christmas cookies he had to make for everyone. And got to the cookie mix. "Tch. The one time I decide to do everything this year, is the one time I become a schizophrenic. Not only do I have to have all this done by Two thirty, but I also have to be extremely prompt about this whole she-bang." Simon said while stirring the cookie mix.

After he put the cookies in the oven, Simon gave a sigh of relief, knowing that Guilmon would remember to take them out once the timer finishes. And he proceeds to fall on his bed. "I'm guessing this is the part where you say, and now we wait... Right?" Guilmon asks Simon who merely gives a thumbs up before falling asleep. Guilmon watched the door, just to make sure if anyone actually came early. He may have gotten somewhat bored, but he knew that the fun would start in a few minutes. Though, he looked away from the door to hear the timer go off. He removed the cookies from the oven, and got out the frosting that Yuko gave Simon after his party. "Simon! The cookies are done!" Guilmon yelled to his partner who woke up. "Alright, let's get to frosting then!" Simon said while putting red frosting on half, while bringing out green frosting for the other half. "I really gotta thank Yuko for this. And return these to her." Simon said to himself before he decided to leave the cookies to cool off. He then placed the sweets on a plate, and awaited the inevitable party guests.

Later, he heard knocking on his door and saw that it was Henry who was the first guest. "Hey Simon, Happy Holidays!" Henry said to Simon before entering his apartment. Simon then responded "Feelings mutual. Now have a seat whereever." Henry decided to seat himself on the couch. "Been a while since I've been here. Though, I do have to say you really know how to get your place set up." Henry said complimenting the area itself. Simon smiled at Henry's compliment before placing the gifts that Henry bought underneath the tree. "This is a Christmas party where we exchange gifts to each other, and not just our family members." Simon said to Henry who responded "Well, I didn't really know what to get everyone, so I just improvised." Simon sighed and said "Well, at least now I know how most of this party's gonna go. But then again, it's really the thought that counts. Not really the present itself." Henry giggled a bit and responded "I guess that's true... So who do you think's gonna come in the door next?" Simon pondered Henry's question and answered "Well, I'm going to assume it's gonna be the Kamiyas." He then hears the doorbell ring and goes to answer the door.

He then sees that it's Daisuke and Hikari, so Simon was at least half right. "So... I'm guessing your mom wants Tai to look great?" Simon asked Hikari who responded "Well..." Suddenly, Taichi showed up... Wearing what appeared to be a Christmas sweater with Jeans. "Tai! You're ruining the surprise!" Hikari yelled to Taichi who was still reeling over the fact that, Sora had bought him a Christmas sweater and Yuko was forcing him to wear it. Sora herself had also shown up to the Kamiya apartment, though that was mostly because Taichi had invited her to the party as well. "So... Where's all the others?" Sora asked Simon who responded "For now, you guys are the only guests here. So, make yourselves at home." Taichi then sits on the couch with Sora, who decided to relax like it's a lounge chair. He then looks over at Hikari, who is sitting on the same chair as Daisuke. And actively scowling at the sight. Sora smacked him upside the head and said "There will be no scowling tonight. Not on Christmas Eve." Taichi sighs before sitting back down with Sora. The Digimon had ended up arriving along with them, though they were hanging out with Guilmon, who felt like sharing stories about things they've heard of... Or things about themselves.

Suzie had shown up a little later, since she was trying on a new dress for the occassion. Though, it was still a kimono that her parents told her to try on. It wasn't a traditional Christmas color, it was somewhat light pink. She had still worn the pigtails in the same style that she learned from Simon a few years ago. Lopmon seemed to look around, and gather nearby where the other Digimon were. Later on, Rika had arrived wearing her casual outfit underneath a thick winter coat and earmuffs. "You didn't end up wearing anything this year? Last year you ended up wearing that Christmas skirt for a modeling event." Henry asked Rika who responded "I would rather die than wear an atrocity like that ever again. And besides, I think the casual suits me much better." Henry giggled a bit before sitting on the floor with Rika. Nia had came up to the apartment, still concerned about her baby bump. Erwin looked at her and said "If anything happens, let me know first alright?" Nia nodded and Impmon responded "Hey don't worry about it! Nothin' will happen as long as I'm here!" Erwin laughed a little at Impmon's statement, before both Tamer and Digimon entered the apartment.

Takeru had came with Ken, though that was mostly because Takeru was going down the same direction he was. "So... How's a lack of soccer season coming along?" Takeru asked Ken who responded "I don't want to hear it. Everybody's been asking me and Davis the same thing. As though we're obsessed over the whole thing! I get the first few times, but not every. Single. Subsequent. Time!" Takeru sees Ken's irritaion in his eyes, and decides to hold off on further questions. Patamon was huddled up on Takeru's hat, though he was still shivering. Wormmon on the other hand, was sitting comfortably in Ken's bag. "Wormmon, you may be smart... But I'm not giving up this hat for nobody!" Patamon said, before immediately shivering again. Takeru looks at his partner out of concern, kind of regretting not bringing a bag like Ken did. Once they did make it, Patamon went next to the heater and fell asleep, while Wormmon had gone to join V-Mon and the others. "So what's Patamon's deal?" Biyomon asked Wormmon who answered "Well... He was sitting on top of TK's hat the whole time, and he was shivering the whole way through. I offered him space in Ken's bag, but he told me that he wouldn't give up TK's hat."

The other non-draconic Digimon shuddered at that thought. Guilmon, V-Mon and Agumon looked at each other in confusion. "I don't get it..." Guilmon said to everyone, though Renamon answered "Guilmon, it's because of the fact that you three are all dragon-like Digimon while everybody else here, except for Patamon and Wormmon... Have to rely on fur to protect them from the elements." Guilmon then pondered another thought. "And don't worry Guilmon, the egg is fine. It's in a heated area in Rika's house." Renamon said to Guilmon who breathed a sigh of relief. They were now in a bit of talk regarding Guilmon and Renamon's precious child. One that Guilmon frets about as often as Simon does regarding the baby. Outside the apartment complex, Koushiro Izumi and Tentomon were nearby the building... Albeit a little nervous, since he's never been in the Shadow Tamer's apartment. "Izzy, you sure it'll be safe for me to come out?" Tentomon asked Koushiro who answered "Once we get inside, I'll let you out and then you'll be free to do whatever you want." Tentomon then tried to contain his excitement. Though Koushiro was wearing a large amount of winter gear, it did not prevent Mimi from surprise hugging him.

"So... How's my nerd doing?" Mimi asked Koushiro who answered "Well, I'm actually starting to get used to these "Surprise Nerd Hugs" from you. So yeah, I'm fine actually." Mimi then cupped one of his cheeks and said "There's a long way to go before you're used to affection like this." Koushiro felt a small blush on his cheeks, but paid no mind to it. "Izzy, you're getting a little red again." Tentomon pointed out, and Koushiro merely responded "I know Tentomon... I know..." They then entered the apartment complex and headed up to Simon's apartment. Mimi entered first declaring "Ladies... Gentlemen... Simon..." Simon then shouted "Hey!" at Mimi placing his name outside the Gentlemen. "I bring the party animal herself! Me!" Mimi then said to everyone before letting Palmon out of her bag. Koushiro entered and bowed to Simon before entering the apartment. After everybody arrived, the party commenced. For the most part, it seemed like a typical teen party... Minus the suspicious alcohol at the High School parties.

They were either playing video games, some card games and partaking in eating all the sweets. Much later, they each opened their presents to each other... And quite a lot of people got what they wanted. Hikari and Daisuke got each other matching ugly sweaters that they both tried on, and Taichi ponders how Daisuke could possibly bear being in that insane trap. Though Sora was just sighing at Taichi's curiosity. And if that wasn't enough, they both got scarves for each other which also matched. Henry and Rika looked at the sight and Rika said "I feel like those two were practically made for each other." Henry looked at Rika and responded "What tipped you off? The fact that they practically did everything together?" Henry shrugged his shoulders and looked back over at Rika. "Well, I know someone's actually having a nice Christmas." Henry said to Rika who sighed before leaning on his shoulder. "Henry, you guys may be idiots... But at least you're my idiots..." Rika said to Henry who then held her closely. At the end of the party, everybody ended up leaving... Which meant Simon and Guilmon had to clean the mess before later that night... And it would seem that, the end of 2014 would be one that the Digimon Tamers would never forget...

* * *

April 16th 2015...

Simon and Henry were getting out of school, looking forward to the weekend. Henry had decided to bring a small case to keep all his stuff, while carrying Terriermon via backpack. "Well Henry, at long last... The weekend. Yet another few days of us probably sitting around and doing some things." Simon said to Henry who responded "Aren't you a little bit worried about the baby? I mean, it's been almost nine months... So shouldn't you be worried about Nia." Simon sighed before answering "Honestly, I am worried and currently I've been giving homework to Nia who hasn't been slacking surprisingly. Erwin decided to pull her from the school on February for personal reasons, and got the authority to do so. But that still doesn't put my mind at ease, seeing her getting quite pale." Henry felt a bit of concern wash over him, but remembered that Terriermon would tell him to momentai. So, he decided to do that for now. Suddenly, Simon felt his phone vibrate in his pocket, and went to get it. "Hello? Simon speaking... Wait, slow down! What just happened? I-I'll be right there!" Simon said into the phone... Before hanging it up.

"You okay Simon?" Henry asked Simon who turned to look at Henry and answered "It's coming..." Henry was going to ask what he meant, but then he put two and two together. "We run, right?" Henry asked before getting a nod of confirmation from Simon, who immediately booked it for the Esthiem residence. Simon and Henry were both going surprisingly fast, so much so that people could barely keep track of them. There seemed to be a taxi right in front of Simon, who was getting increasingly stressed. "I've got no time for this!" Simon said before speeding up. Henry had also sped up just to keep up with his friend. The man in the taxi had just gotten some fast food, before listening to the radio. "Oh man... Why do I keep going into these alleyways? It literally makes no sense! Oh well, at least this gives me some levity to eat before being back on the street again." The driver said, before hearing someone's hands landing on top of his cab, and seeing what appears to be a couple of high schoolers running at very high speeds. He then looks at his food, and drink before saying "Did those guys put something in my food again? Cause this is the third time I've seen weird crap like this..."

Later, Simon and Henry finally made it to the Esthiem household where Erwin was having Impmon load Nia into the passenger seat. "We're here Erwin... And just in the nick of time..." Simon said in between pants. Erwin then told the two to get into the back seats. After everyone was in the back seat, Simon dialed his apartment's number. Though just to tell Guilmon to check on the egg. Henry then realized that, Terriermon was still in his backpack. "Sorry little brother... I should've warned you." Henry said to Terriermon who seemed a bit too dizzy to respond. "What'd you do? Take him on a roller coaster?" Impmon asked Henry who answered "Well... Let's just say, we were really quick to respond." Impmon raised a hypothetical eyebrow at Henry's statement. Simon then hung up and said "Alright, Guilmon's headed to Rika's place to check on the egg and let her know what's happening. Meanwhile, I gotta text the others about this recent development." He then proceeded to text all of the people on his contact list, except for Yamato since Takeru told him he was too busy to come.

Meanwhile, most of the Tamers have received the text... Though Koushiro was busy at work, since today was one of his work days with Tentomon. Mimi seemed to be out with her parents in Odaiba, just to visit the old town. Taichi was sitting at the tran station, waiting for Sora... Since the two wanted to spend the weekend together. Though, she also received the text. "Oh, hey Tai... I guess we both received a weird text from Simon?" Sora asked Taichi who answered "Yeah, and it looks like our first day together... Is gonna be at the hospital." Sora shrugged her shoulders and walked with Taichi. Daisuke, Ken, Takeru and Hikari didn't have anything to do, so they were already headed to the park to get their Digimon before heading towards the hospital. Suzie had a bicycle to get her there, which was something her mom bought her for her birthday last year. "Suzie, you sure you know where the hospital is?" Lopmon asked her Tamer who responded "Lopmon, don't start doubting me now..." Taiki and Kiriha had already happened to be at the hospital, since Taiki was quick to act on the text. Rika, Renamon and Guilmon were already there... Since the two Digimon had seen the egg glow, as though signifying that it's ready to hatch.

Most of the Tamers had to sit in the waiting room, since the actual hospital room where it's happening is for family members and spouses only. Simon was seated next to Nia, who was not only stressed out... But also in immense pain. "Well Nia, good news is that right now, you're about to produce a miracle. But the bad news, from what I'm looking at... You're probably in a severe amount of pain." Simon said to Nia who while panting looked at him and responded "Whatever gave you that idea?" Simon sighed at Nia's comment and said "Don't ever change Nia." The doctor had come in and said "Well Mr. Ackerman, this could take hours... So if you ever want to leave the room and get something to drink, feel free." Simon responded "Look doc, I'm staying for the long run. I don't care how thirsty or hungry I am, I'll be staying here to make sure Nia and the baby are okay." The doctor sighed before saying "Okay... Mr. Perfect, I'll leave you two alone." Simon sneered at the doctor and said "Does everyone still think that I'm Mr. Perfect!? I got over those status' a while ago. I'm just trying to be a good teenage daddy. Not like most, who would just leave you here alone to take care of the baby... And probably go mess with some other girl."

Simon then looks at Nia who looks depressed and he grabs her hand. "I know you're not like that... But it's just the thought that makes me depressed. Why do so many people hate responsibility?" Nia said to Simon who answered "Well, most teens are in it for the sex, and like us forget protection. But unlike us, they don't think about any possible reprecussions about their actions. Also, I feel like most people look at how I treat this, like I'm catholic. I don't follow that religion... I was just raised upon it. So god forbid I feel bad for taking your virginity." Nia gripped Simon's hand very firmly, as though establishing that she has plenty of muscle in her. "It's gonna hurt your hand..." Nia said to Simon out of concern, only for him to respond "Nothing could hurt me more than what's going to hurt you. But trust me, after this is over... I got a special, harmless surprise for you." Nia then felt a bit of aniticipation well up inside her... Until she felt another contraction. Simon then thought to himself "I don't think she knows that she's gripping my non-human hand... Maybe I should give her my left hand..."

Back outside the room, Guilmon and Renamon sit patiently... Waiting for the egg to hatch. "Do you think that, maybe Simon's baby could be it's partner?" Guilmon asked Renamon who shrugged her shoulders and responded "That's a very strong possibility. Though, I'm willing to bet that they'll both be out at the same time." Guilmon continues to look at the egg in between the two. Terriermon looked at the sight and said "Get a room you two!" He then ended up climbing on Guilmon's head and laid on top of it. "Remember back in the good old days? When it was just the three of us doing stuff?" Terriermon asks the two, although Renamon then answered "Well, it used to be that way... But then it just so happened that Simon's beloved, ended up getting a Digimon along with Suzie. So, I can't really say it used to be always like that. Impmon is still fretting outside the hospital room, but at least he's not alone in that department since Erwin's there." Terriermon then pondered how this bonding time between Renamon and Guilmon produce a Digi-Egg, when Digimon usually just reincarnate in Digi-Eggs or are absorbed by different Digimon.

Suddenly, the double hospital door was kicked open by Kittan, who happened to arrive a little bit later... With his gang. "Kittan is on the scene! So then... Where's the room?" Kittan said to the other Tamers, who pointed towards the left. "Alrighty then! Forward march!" Kittan yelled before marching towards the room. Though, Leyte and the others had opted to stay in the waiting room. "Geez Kittan... When you get all hot-blooded, you really get us excited for nothing." Leyte says disappointed in that they're not fighting anything. Leeron sighed and decided to sit down nearby henry. Dayaka seemed a bit confused by Sora's prescience. "I know the guys from Xros Heart... But who's the lady friend?" Dayaka asked Taichi who responded "This is my girlfriend Sora... Whom I've known since we were kids!" Dayaka was a little intrigued and said "Oh... A childhood sweetheart eh? Well, I hope you two have a happy life together!" Taichi laughed a bit sheepishly along with Sora. Kittan meanwhile, was standing nearby Erwin and Impmon. "So... You waiting as well?" Kittan asked Erwin who responded "Yep." He then looked at his watch, as though wondering what time it was.

After quite a few hours of pain, it seemed that Nia was finally ready for the baby to come out. Simon could see the expressions of pain on Nia's face, as the baby was slowly and steadily coming out. Once it was out, she panted and Simon felt a sigh of relief come over him. "Congratulations you two... It's a beautiful baby boy!" The doctor said before handing the baby to Nia. The baby seemed to have a small bit of Simon's hair, which is a little surprising. Though the baby had cried at first, but when Nia cradled him... He calmed down and snuggled close to his mother. Simon reached out with his right hand, as though he wanted to hold the baby, and Nia ablidged him. "The thing is... I already thought of a name for you. And honestly... This is probably the happiest moment of my life..." Simon said while tears of joy flowed freely from him. Nia saw how happy Simon was, and couldn't help but feel just as much joy as he did. The doctor had then come in to see the two with the baby and said "Alright Ms. Esthiem and Mr. Ackerman... Here's the paperwork for his birth certificate, that you have to sign. Write down what you wish to name him, and the date he was born."

Simon looked at the clock and saw that it was 5:22. He then wrote down what the two agreed was the name, the date and time he was born and signed it. "And you're sure you want to go with Simon's surname Nia? You could change it if you like." The doctor said to Nia who shook her head. "It's fine the way it is. We've had quite a lot of time to think about it." The doctor then took the paperwork and decided to put it into their system. While Simon had been petting the baby's head, he noticed that his thumb was suddenly inside the baby's mouth. "Um, could you please let go?" Simon asked the baby, before taking his thumb out... Only to see that, part of his spiral energy was drained. Guilmon and Renamon came in a little later, with what appeared to be a yellow Gyarimon. Who looked at the baby, and asked Guilmon "Is that my partner daddy?" Guilmon nodded and answered "When he's older Gyarimon." Gyarimon then asked "What's his name?" Simon petted Gyarimon and answered "It was name that Mrs. Matsuki told me about. His name is Takato. And when he's old enough... He'll be your Tamer." Gyarimon then looked closer at Baby Takato and said "Takatomon?" Simon sighed and shrugged it off.

Everyone seemed to be so happy that Nia had finally given birth to her baby. Though, some would judge her and Simon, they didn't care. Outside the hospital, it appears that the yellow Guilmon watched as Nia was wheeled out along with Baby Takato. "Well Takato... I guess you're dad isn't as heartless as you make him out to be." Guilmon said to Takato who was also watching. "Guilmon... That doesn't mean he won't change. He'll change for the worse, and before that could happen... Everything will change. The world will be a much better place without the likes of Simon Ackerman. He's just one guy, who just so happens to be a Digimon Tamer. Literally anyone can take his place. So for now, I'll let him live... Until the time has come." Takato responded to Guilmon, before heading towards another part of Japan. "Now is the time that I seek out training. The training I need to teach Simon Ackerman his place, and to show that I am better than him..."

 **つづく**


	35. Huanglongmon vs Xros Heart!

The following is a non-profit Fanfiction. Digimon is owned by Toei Animation, Bandai, Akiyoshi Hongo and licensed by Saban Brands. Please support the official release, by buying the DVDs...

Digimon Tamers Crimson: Knights of Grim Episode 31: Huanglongmon vs Xros Heart...

Two months later, it would seem that the lives of the Digimon Tamers would go back to normal. For Simon and Nia, it's been a little hectic with juggling between making sure the baby is fed and all taken care of, and who has him for the night. Simon even had to get a cradle put in his apartment, for whenever Baby Takato was brought over... Along with Gyarimon. Guilmon had it a bit easier since, all he needed to do was play with Gyarimon and feed him. And most of the team was either dreading or looking forward to finals. Simon had even introduced Baby Takato, to Takehiro and Mei Matsuki since they helped to come up with the name. They had somewhat gravitated towards the baby, and were being very googly eyed with him. There were also days when Simon would work at the bakery, due to that being his part time job. Taichi was studying his butt off, just so that he could graduate along with Koushiro, Mimi, Yamato and Sora. Agumon still didn't see the necessity of this "Graduation"... Even when Yuko explained it to him. Though Gatomon still made fun of him, based on his blood knight tendencies.

Henry had looked through many articles regarding being a programmer, and was receiving some help from Janyu. Henry was trying to make a program, that he felt would be beneficial to all of his fellow tamers. Terriermon seemed to also want a piece of that programming pie, since he wanted to do something useful with his likely immortal life. There were times when Rika would invite some of the Tamers and their digimon over, as well as Xros Heart... Though that was mostly because she wanted to get out some artistic talent. Since she wanted to be a Mangaka, she thought to start with drawing her friends doing some things, and when she has experience... Maybe write a story down so that she'll be able to make a Manga out of it. Though the drawings of Henry and Renamon appeared to be drawn, in very beautiful backgrounds... Despite being the same exact area. Perhaps that could be bias, but who really knows. Daisuke had looked through some things on his computer, just to see if he could maybe get somewhere with making noodles...

Unfortunately, most places in Japan wouldn't really subfice since he wants to make some of the best, and offer it to other people who want it. V-Mon meanwhile, was practicing kicking the soccer ball into the air while in his soccer uniform. Jun had given him a very strict warning about what would happen, should he break anything with his skill. Hikari came to visit Daisuke on ocassion. Though that was either to hang out at his place, her place or go on a date. Lately though, she's been trying to avoid Taichi's eyes whenever she brings up Daisuke. Taichi is only wishing that she doesn't end up like Simon and Nia. Speaking of which, Nia has recently been catching up on quite a lot of school work and seems to be working out again. The working out part, was mostly because carrying a child inside her made her almost unable to do strenuous training. Though now, she and the rest of the girls are still doing their duties for the police.

Suzie meanwhile, was preparing for another school play for drama class and had constantly rehearsed to make sure that she doesn't miss a beat or messes up a single line of dialogue. Lopmon was there to assist her, should they ever need to role play. The two seemed to be working very well together, though there will be an ocassion when either messes up and they redo the line again. Ken and Wormmon seem to be working with Koushiro at the time, studying for exams and helping each other out when trying to understand some of the answers to various questions. Wormmon and Tentomon meanwhile, were looking through Koushiro's notes and seeing what kind of Digi-Code they could help decifer for their Tamers. Tentomon still didn't really understand the meaning behind the whole "paycheck" thing that Koushiro often talks about when he's talking about his job, but can see that it is very beneficial towards his overall currency. Mimi, like Taichi surprisingly studied quite hard, since she wants to be in the same college as Koushiro and her old friends. Though being in the same college is somewhat unlikely, she still wishes to try and get in. Palmon meanwhile, was looking through a bunch of Mimi's clothing and found a few beautiful dresses within. Though they were little kids' dresses, it did fit her just fine.

Sora may be in a relationship with Taichi, but just because she's seen with Yamato in Odaiba high, people automatically assume that she's going out with Yamato. They both just roll their eyes at every comment on that subject. After a while, they got used to it and just flat out ignore the other student's chatter. Yamato had to juggle between band business, as well as studying for finals. He hopes that even when they graduate and become separated, Knife of day will still be able to perform on a regular basis. As unlikely as that is, Yamato still firmly believes in that possibility. Meanwhile, Sora is still helping out her mother with Biyomon. Though business is still going at a very average pace. The two wished they could do something to keep it going, while Sora juggles her studies and visits to Shinjuku. On a more positive note, the other two members of Xros Heart appear to be doing well for themselves. Taiki has been a valuable asset to the basketball team that Simon and Takeru are a part of, and Shoutmon found a bit of his calling in making surprisingly quiet announcements as the game goes. The best part is that, he didn't even need a speaker for all this.

Kiriha on the other hand, was able to come to Taiki's practices and support him. Though, he had to keep Greymon from appearing and cheering loudly... But he was still able to support his best friend. Last but certainly not least, Takeru had been spending quite a lot of his time with Xros Heart, and continuing his friendship with Taiki and Shoutmon. Patamon sees the benefit of hanging out with Xros Heart... But misses the times when Takeru would hang out with Simon and co. Although, at the very least summer is coming up and maybe then they'll have time to hang out. Unbeknowst to our whole party... There appeared to be a large golden dragon, wandering around the Digital World from sector to sector. However, it seems as though there were no method to his travels, he was just wandering with no real goal in mind... As though there didn't really seem to be a mind to begin with. Unfortunately, it seems that Yggdrasil was starting to run very low on patience when it came to Dorumon evolving. He didn't seem to have that final component, and he felt that... It was only a matter of time before the Digimon Tamers locate his and Grima's whereabouts...

* * *

Meanwhile, in Yggdrasil's tree...

"It would appear that despite our soldiers' best effort, the current state of Dorumon would still take another complete year just for it to become what you want." Yggdrasil said to Grima who was currently in thought about something. "My lord, I'm afraid I can't get anymore of my soldiers to give data to this specimen. So, unless there's an idea within that cycle of yours... It'll be another delay before you can get your plan kickstarted." Yggdrasil explained to Grima who responded "Relax, my loyal servant. For there is a golden opportunity within the Digital World." Yggdrasil walked up to Grima, who showed him a projection of a golden dragon. "I see what you mean by Golden... But unfortunately, it will take all of my power to even penetrate his armor. That creature is known as Huanglongmon. A Digimon so powerful, that even the sovereigns revere it. I pray that you have a plan in mind for him correct?" Yggdrasil said regarding Yggdrasil's suggestion. "Don't worry, I'm sure that someone will come and make a dent in him. And you won't even have to lift a finger." Grima said to Yggdrasil who pondered what he could mean...

Until he finally figured it out. "I shall wait patiently for my cue to strike my lord... Should I take all of his data? Or should I only obtain the body?" Yggdrasil asked Grima who responded "There's no point in obtaining everything he has to offer. All I need is just the body, which will be more than enough for our little friend here to become our very own behemoth." Yggdrasil knelt before Grima and then phased through the floor and headed below. "Soon, the time will come. One of the pieces that I at first didn't see coming... Has finally arrived in this timeline. Although, now I have to deal with the possibility of my greatest achievement being destroyed by that small piece. Then again, that will only be a minor inconvenience. After all, I can just commence with the plan, albeit... In a different way. Once the Digimon Tamers are defeated, and my arch nemesis Naga finally killed before my eyes... There will be nothing keeping me from spreading my influence. And if my achievement manages to survive, then it's plan B. Now then, let's see who will pursue Huanglongmon in order to stop his madness." Grima said to himself, before chuckling out of sheer amusement.

* * *

Back in the human world...

Koushiro Izumi had just gotten out of school and it was a day off. So, he decided to survey Xros Heart and their training in the Digital World. Just to see how they do things, in comparison to the main group. Although, as he was following Taiki, Kiriha and Taichi to the park... Mimi had decided to follow Koushiro around, since that's where ninety five percent of the fun is. She had found Palmon nearby, but saw that she wasn't with Tentomon. Taichi then said "So on your day off, you decide to hang out with us... Rather than with Mimi..." Koushiro responded "Yeah... Well, I wanted to do something a bit different today... And even though we're kind of on a break, trust me she already knows... I feel like I'm stuck in a rut. So, I figured that doing something a bit different would help leviate that feeling." Suddenly, Koushiro heard rustling in the bushes nearby. He pondered what could've possibly triggered that, until he remembered what would likely happen. "Hey guys. Do you ever get that feeling like you're being watched?" Koushiro asked Xros Heart, to which Taiki then asked "Sometimes, why?" Koushiro then answered "Well, it's because..."

Suddenly, Mimi came out of nowhere and glomped Koushiro "Surprise nerd hug!" She exclaimed as the two fell to the ground. Koushiro sighed and then said "It's because of that. Mimi, why are you here?" Mimi looked down at Koushiro and responded "Oh, I know we're supposed to be taking a break from going out on dates... But I really wanna go where the fun is!" Taichi then looked at the two and asked "You do realize that means you'll probably fighting the bad guy alongside us right?" Mimi nodded and had Palmon come out of the bushes. "Hey everyone! Mimi wanted to surprise you guys, so I made sure to keep my mouth shut the whole time!" Palmon said to the others before Tentomon approached her and responded "Well, that's nice of you to help your Tamer and all that, but could she please get off of Izzy?" Mimi heard this and stood up off of Koushiro. "I'm sorry, I should've warned you about the nerd hug. Lately, because of the way that Nene girl's been looking at you... I've been getting worried. So, I figured that maybe we should hang out as regular friends for now. And no, that doesn't mean we're breaking up." Mimi said to Koushiro as an apology.

"It's fine Mimi. I kind of worry about you too. It's just that, I've got so many other things to juggle at once... I can't really worry about my relationship too much." Koushiro said to Mimi, who seemed to understand what he meant since he has to do so much research on Digi-Code, be a Digimon Tamer, focus on finals, and go to work on a regular basis. And their relationship just so happens to be within all that. "Alright, so now that we're here... Where's TK?" Kiriha asked the group the obligatory question. "He should be here by now... Unless his mom's keeping him home. And plus, Nia's busy with Takato." Taichi answered Kiriha. Mimi was about to ask who that was, until Koushiro said "He's Simon and Nia's kid. So right now, both of his parents are busy doing things." Mimi then remembered that Nia was pregnant, though she didn't remember getting an invite to see the baby himself. Later, Takeru arrived with Patamon and said "Sorry I'm late guys... Mom had me run a few errands... What's Mimi doing here?" Koushiro then responded "Well, I wanted to get out of the rut I end up in on days off from work, and Mimi just so happened to follow me. I don't have a problem, but I hope none of you guys have a problem."

Takeru shook his head and said "I don't have a problem, now hold on a minute while I get Patamon to MagnaAngemon." Patamon got a little enthusiastic and awaited for Takeru to slash a blue card through his D-Power. He then turned into MagnaAngemon and opened a portal to the Digital World. "Y'know TK... I may fight in this form, but I feel like this is becoming a convenience for the others." MagnaAngemon said to Takeru before he jumped into the portal. "Well, unless there was a computer moniter in which we could get there through EDEN... I don't see how we could get there without you." Kiriha said to MagnaAngemon who then decided to shrug his shoulders and cue the others to enter, before entering himself. Once they arrived in the Digital World, they noticed that in the distance... The hub sector appears to be in the middle of construction. "I wonder if that project Simon was talking about with Impmon has to do with this?" Taichi asked Koushiro who nodded and responded "Well, they did say that the hub sector does have a sufficient amount of metal for a spaceship."

Mimi, Taiki and Kiriha were really confused... Until Takeru said "Simon wanted to make sure that they could get to Yggdrasil, before he even thought of going there himself. So, he had Impmon convince some of the hub sector's Digimon to build a spaceship for us. And hopefully, we'll be able to leave the Digital World and head over to wherever Yggdrasil's hideout is." Shoutmon then approached Takeru and asked "Alright, I get what the spaceship is for... But why does it need to take so long?" Taiki looked at Shoutmon and answered "Well, the thing is... Things like spaceships are more time consuming. Although, since time moves much faster here than in our world, it does make some sense." Greymon looked at the ship in construction... And saw that the skeleton of the ship was exposed. Though, the bottom was starting to look somewhat complete, the rest would still take time. "Admirable... A reformed Demon lord was able to make all of that possible. I find that to be an admirable quality. Though, I know what happened after the construction of the hub sector caused him to distrust most of the workers within... They still believed in him, since they saw that he wasn't himself." Greymon said to himself.

* * *

After a little bit, Koushiro ended up seeing something in the distance. And that something, just so happened to be a large golden dragon... That was wrecking the mountain sector. "Izzy? What the hell is that thing?" Mimi asked Koushiro who responded "I'm not sure... We should get a closer look." Taichi had Agumon turn into RizeGreymon while picking up Taichi. Taiki had merged with Shoutmon to become KingShoutmon, who then King Xrossed with Sparrowmon, just to sprout wings. Kiriha loaded Greymon into his Xros Loader and brought out Mailbirdramon. He then flew Kiriha towards the source as well. Takeru merged with Patamon to become Seraphimon, and Koushiro merged with Tentomon to become HerculesKabuterimon. The golden beetle then offered Mimi a ride... She nodded and grabbed Palmon before climbing into his hand. They were all headed towards the golden dragon... And saw that it was quite gigantic. "Holy..." Kiriha said before Seraphimon finished saying "Shit..." They looked at the creature who seemed to ignore them.

Taichi had RizeGreymon lower him and analyzed the Digimon in front of them. "Huanglongmon, Data type, Ultra Level. Attacks are: Taikyoku, Oukai, Koutei no Kiba, and Dragon Smash." Taichi said quoting his Digivice. "Well Tai, I do have to say... Today just keeps getting better and better. First, the hope of the Digital World is getting some progress done, and now we have an Ultra Level Digimon to deal with." RizeGreymon said before de-evolving back into Agumon. Taichi saw the enormous creature and realized that this guy might be a lot more powerful than any Digimon they've come up against. "From what I hear of the Digital World's mythos... This behemoth is like the Digimon Sovereign. Although, This guy appears to be mindless in comparison to those guys." HerculesKabuterimon said based on the knowledge he saw in the Digi-Code scattered throughout.

"It was in the notes Tentomon and I combined when studying this world's mythology. Although, I think he seems to be destroying things for little to no reason." Koushiro said within his data core. Taichi seemed a bit surprised that Koushiro would actually find out about the Digital world's mythology. "Well, this guy could learn a few lessons... Am I right?" Mimi asked Koushiro who blushed inside the data core and answered "I guess so. But, we should see if he's really under Yggdrasil's control first." Mimi shrugged and said "At least we're not fighting immediately. That fight with Titamon was not a pleasant one if I say so myself." She then sported a serious expression on her face and looked at Palmon who then asked "Is it time for Rosemon Mimi?" Mimi nodded and answered "Oh hell yeah it is!" She then inserts her core drill, along with Taichi for Agumon. 

**SPIRAL MATRIX EVOLUTION._**

 **Agumon Spiral Matrix Evolve to... VictoryGreymon!**

 **Palmon Spiral Matrix Evolve to... Rosemon!**

Kiriha then fused Greymon with Mailbirdramon, before evolving them into ZekeGreymon. They then tried approaching Huanglongmon, who seemed to be ignoring the group. As they were floating around Huanglongmon, each had checked him for anything that could link him to Yggdrasil. Whether it'd be a brand, or even the slightest sign of dark aura. Unfortunately, the dark aura that seemed to exude from him was a different color from the usual purple. It was a dark shade of red, so it seemed to be that he wasn't under Yggdrasil's control. They then decided to stand in front of him, while launching attacks nearby him. Huanglongmon looked down at the group, sneering at them all. "Hey! Why are you doing this!? And who are you working for!?" Kiriha yelled to the Digimon who then roared at the group. Suddenly, the Golden dragon tried to stomp on the group. Only for the group to get out of the way. "Alright, so it looks like this guy's on his own! What now?" Kiriha asked the group. Mimi in her data core said "Hey guys! I have an idea! Let's try aiming for anything on his legs. That way, he'll be vulnerable for attacks!" Everybody but Koushiro gave her a weird look, before she then said "Hey, I gotta come up with something every so often. And I guess my nerd's habits are rubbing off on me."

They then headed down, and starting firing attacks at literally any part of his legs, that would offer some form of weakness. Though they had found one, it seemed like Huanglongmon was not going to let up. Once one of his legs was in severe pain from all the attacks, the team then focused their attention on making the behemoth fall. They had bashed into him, sliced into him and even fired a few beams of lightning... But the dragon would not fall that easily. After a while of being attacked, he roared and sent his orbs to attack the team. And they were barely able to destroy each and every one of them, all while trying to avoid the beams that were being fired from said orb. Huanglongmon then had fire coming from his mouth, which then spewed at the three members of Xros Heart. Though surprsingly, HerculesKabuterimon, Rosemon and Seraphimon were unharmed. However, Seraphimon got angry and shot seven beams of light at the creature's head... And ducked down before he could get counter-attacked.

"Okay seriously, what's with this guy!?" Seraphimon asked HerculesKabuterimon who then answered "If this guy's an Ultra Level, there's no doubt that he may have some intelligence." Rosemon looked over in concern at Xros Heart, who was currently incapacitated. KingShoutmon got up after a little bit and looked at Huanglongmon. "I swear, if we ever find another one of these guys... Let's make sure Henry's with us before fighting him." KingShoutmon said rubbing his head in pain. ZekeGreymon and VictoryGreymon got up, looking at Huanglongmon who was somewhat ignoring them and continuing his path of destruction. Though it would seem that HerculesKabuterimon, Seraphimon and Rosemon were trying to fend it off, while trying to keep it's mouth closed... Just to prevent flame breath from coming out. VictoryGreymon propped himself with his sword and said "Shoutmon, what do you think we should do? Just as long as it doesn't involve calling for help." KingShoutmon sighed and responded "I swear, I'm this close to doing that just to spite you." Kiriha only had a few scrapes and bruises due to ZekeGreymon taking most of the punishment.

"Alright, I think we need to do the same thing we did against DarkKnightmon. Which is basically all of combining." Kiriha said to the others, while KingShoutmon pondered what kind of strategy they'd need after combining. "Okay, but let's try and knock him off his feet first. That way, we could end it right then and there." KingShoutmon said to the others. "Wouldn't he think to protect his feet after our initial assault?" ZekeGreymon asked KingShoutmon who responded "Well most of his body looks pretty durable except his legs... So why the hell not?" ZekeGreymon shrugged his shoulders and Kiriha prepped his Digivice for Digi-Xrossing. KingShoutmon then held up his hand and said "King XROS!" As he says this, a bright light ends up consuming the trio... And it would appear that HerculesKabuterimon, Rosemon and Seraphimon all ended up getting sucked into the vortex as well. It was then, that the new Shoutmon form had gained three new Digimon to add to his power. And then Taiki within his data core said "With this, we as a whole gained the power to even match the Digimon Sovereigns! This... Is Super Ultimate Shoutmon!"

Shoutmon now appeared to be standing at equal height with Huanglongmon, and the two had looked at each other. Huanglongmon saw this, and roared at the potential obstacle in the way. Shoutmon looked at the Digimon and prepared his staff. Mimi looks around along with Koushiro at their current surroundings. "Izzy, have you ever been in the same data core as somebody else?" Mimi asked Koushiro who shook his head along with Takeru. Taichi sighs and answers "Well, when I've combined with Matt to become Omnimon Arbitrator mode, we do share the same data core. And I'm sure Davis can tell you what it's like to be in the same core as Ken with Imperialdramon." Mimi then pondered the feeling, but then they all focused their attention on Huanglongmon... Who began charging at them. Shoutmon had prepared the sword portion of the staff and made a sweep on the legs. Though the legs weren't cut off, Huanglongmon did end up flipping over. Though not before summoning more spheres to defend him. Shoutmon simply raised his hand and bolts of lightning came out and hit half of the spheres, while the right hand shot a red beam that consumed the spheres as well.

He then used both of his hands to summon seven spheres of light that impacted Huanglongmon for severe damage. However, Huanglongmon's armor appeared to be unscathed. The dragon roared and unleashed a large stream of fire that almost consumed the entire landscape. Shoutmon then placed his staff in the ground and warded off the fire that headed for him. "Sorry buddy, I'm afraid that you're not gonna put a dent in me this time. This time... I'm breaking that armor of yours!" Shoutmon said before the two once again charged at each other. After some time, Shoutmon spotted a small weakpoint in the armor and aimed HerculeKabuterimon's lightning at it. Huanglongmon roared in pain, and eventually felt Shoutmon stab his staff into his weakpoint. This caused him to fall onto the ground in pain. Once he was down, Shoutmon looked into Huanglongmon's eyes and said "Now go quietly... Or this is gonna be painful." Before raising his staff to strike Huanglongmon. The dragon looked at Shoutmon with a large amount of defiance. Suddenly, black tendrils impacted Huanglongmon's armor and appeared to to be pinning him in place.

The group was extremely confused by this, until Koushiro said "Up there!" Pointing in said direction. They all looked up to see Yggdrasil, hovering slightly below a portal he generated. "So... This is the strongest form Xros Heart can take. No wonder Bagramon lost to you... He ended up underestimating you. Me and my master won't make the same mistake." Yggdrasil said to the group down below. Shoutmon then sliced at the tendrils, which did end up destroyed. However, Huanglongmon burst into data... Which Yggdrasil proceeded to absorb into his being. Although, a projection in the distance had his invention take in the core of the data. "So what if I didn't get the core... I got all that I needed, so farewell for now Xros Heart. The next time we meet, my master and I will have a weapon capable of smashing your precious home town." Shoutmon tried shooting bolts of lightning at Yggdrasil, only for those tendrils to form a shield around him. He then disappeared into the portal he created. Super Ultimate Shoutmon then disassembled into the members of Xros Heart, Koushiro, Mimi and Takeru.

They all seemed to be very confused as to what happened. "Guys... Where did that monster come from?" Shoutmon asked the group, to which Koushiro answered "I have to wonder myself... Simon never mentioned anything like that before. But then again, he probably never saw something like that before." Taichi then snaps his fingers and says "Oh! I think Emir told us this story! Huanglongmon for the longest time was causing problems for his group. Vincent kept on locking in his computer, only for him to break out every so often... Only for Huanglongmon to keep on breaking out and basically be like Godzilla in America." Taiki then adds "And then Vincent probably decided to seal him back into the Digital World." Koushiro then raised his hand and asked "How come we never noticed something that big before? Every time we went to the Digital World, we never saw anything as big as that." Tentomon then answers "Well, he probably took a while to get through the Digital Network, since he's a large packet of data being thrown in all at once." Mimi was pondering something and asks "Guys... What is Yggdrasil going to do with all that data?" Kiriha then answers "He would need the Data core in order to complete it. Otherwise, it's just pure darkness going into him."

Takeru then had an epiphany. "What if... What if that darkness was what Yggdrasil wanted? I mean think about it, he didn't seem all that keen with taking the data core after it was stolen by that weird projection. Though, I think that might be that Vincent guy that Tai talked about... Since he's quite a mechanical genius." Takeru said to the others who actually thought about what he said. But, Koushiro had another question. "Who's Vincent? I mean, he sounds like a very interesting person... So who is he?" Koushiro asked the others. Mimi then answered "Oh, he's actually Emir's roommate. Every time I looked at his things when visiting that guy... I always ended up thinking of you Izzy. But he was too quiet to be you. So, I kind of got bored." Kouhsiro looked at Taichi and asked "Next time someone goes to America... Could you have them invite me? Cause I gotta know about this guy! He could help me with this Digi-Code business if he's this good at technology!" Taichi then patted Koushiro's head and answered "I'll make sure to tell Simon and the others this business." Takeru later says "Yeah, and I gotta tell him what just happened... Because he'd like to know if Yggdrasil was up to something... Plus, I think he might be able to help just in case they decided to attack."

Everybody nodded and decided to head for the hub zone, in order to get back to their homes. Once they ended up in EDEN, Hackmon seemed to be looking at something, but didn't appear to be losing focus on the object in question. That object being, a strange image of Alphamon that appeared on part of the EDEN area. "Yggdrasil seemed to have passed by here... With this purple marking, I'm sure of it. However... This is one of my old friends. Not an enemy of mine... So why bother with this?" Hackmon said to the others, who then thought of something horrible. "What if... What if all that data... Was to bring back this creature? Then what?" Agumon asked the others, who didn't really know who Alphamon is. Agumon sighs and says "I'm sure Gabumon knows more about this than I do. Since Alphamon was actually a friend of ours." Koushiro then asked "Why can't we ask Guilmon, or V-Mon these questions?" Agumon sighed and answered "It's because they don't know him like Gabumon would know him." Everybody then looked on... Before ultimately heading home...

* * *

Back in Yggdrasil's tree...

Yggdrasil walked in with a dark sphere of data and said "I have brought what we needed. And I believe this will suffice my lord." Grima smiled and responded "Good... Now place him in our specimen. This should speed up the process significantly." Yggdrasil nodded and placed the sphere into what is currently Dorugamon... Which then evolved into DoruGreymon. "And soon, he will evolve into our Alphamon. This data will likely make him more than a match for his ultimate rival." Grima said to Yggdrasil who kneeled before Grima. "I'm pleased that you're pleased my lord... Now we shall wait for when that happens?" Yggdrasil said to Grima who nodded before removing his hood for Yggdrasil. Though, his face was still obscured by the shadows surrounding him. He pulled out something from his pocket... Which seemed to be a pair of goggles. "What do you wish to do with those?" Yggdrasil asked Grima who responded "I have no need for these trivial things... However, a friend of mine does need these..." He then placed them into a portal, and they disappeared forever...

 **And so, eight months have passed... And for our heroes, this could very well be the end of everything. However, even within the darkness, there is always a small amount of light. And that light, could overpower even the strongest of darknesses...**


	36. The Heartful Cry

The following is a non-profit Fanfiction. Digimon is owned by Toei Animation, Bandai, Akiyoshi Hongo and licensed by Saban Brands. Please support the official release, by buying the DVDS...

Digimon Tamers Crimson: Knights of Grim Episode 32: The Heartful Cry...

February 21st, 2016...

It seemed like a lot of things came and went. Another school year bit the dust, and Taichi along with Yamato, Sora, Mimi, and Koushiro had all graduated and moved on to college. Though, they didn't end up moving into the college dorms. They still hung out with the other Tamers, as well as each other. Each day, Taichi would come home being very thorough when it comes to his homework. Koushiro seemed to juggle multiple things at once again... Though this time, with a tad bit more management skills. Mimi was able to help with some of the scheduling, since she was actually really good at multi-tasking as well. Sora was quite anxious about being a part of the college soccer team, along with Taichi. Both Biyomon and Agumon came to support their games, but of course Agumon is only in on it for the competitive sense... Not for good sportsmanship. Biyomon was there because Sora's mom let her partake in these events. Koushiro seemed to be captain of the computer club... Much like in high school, though he still uses his spare time to decifer some of the Digi-Code that lingers throughout the area.

Tentomon at first seemed a bit unsettling to some of his classmates, when they were outside... But slowly and steadily they warmed up to his prescience. And that was after school, when Koushiro would hang out with some of the computer club members. Yamato still found some way to get in touch with the other members of Knife of Day, but could barely find times for rehearsals... Since they went to a different college than he did. Mimi meanwhile, still went to some of the college parties and even invited Koushiro to them. Most of which he declined, but he did go to some, just for being there with Mimi. It seemed that for the oldest members of the Tamers, they'd finally be together in the same college... But they somewhat missed their friends. Yamato felt that sentiment for almost all of the Tamers... Except for Simon, whom he still considered an asshole though they were semi friends. Taichi still worries about Hikari on a daily basis, though Sora keeps on telling him to relax and enjoy what's in front of them. Most of them were eighteen with the exception of Taichi who had turned nineteen in November.

Simon and co. meanwhile, seemed to be having an interesting year at high school. This may be Simon and Nia's last year at said school. But considering the events of last year, with the two being parents to their currently ten month old son... Things have been far from boring. The two had been taking turns with who cares for baby Takato, and Simon had been preparing himself for when the baby comes to visit. He makes sure to move the cradle whenever it stops moving, and always feed the baby. Which is one of many things he has to multi-task. He still does the occassional night duties with Guilmon, and does help out with some Black Rose operations. Though, that's when the group isn't enough to take on the foe that would otherwise sully their reputation. He tries to devote his time to most of these things, but ends up a bit fatigued by the end of the day. Still though, he cares deeply for both Nia and the baby. Guilmon and Renamon also switch between who takes care of Gigimon, since they too had become parents. However, since Gigimon is already capable of speech it's easier to communicate between parent and child.

Whereas baby Takato has yet to utter a single coherent word... Other than the occasional crying. Nia also feels some of the fatigue of multi-tasking due to her trying to keep up her strength and raise the baby. However, she has a much easier time due to living with Erwin. Since he seems very willing to help her out whenever she doesn't know what to do. Kittan does get to see baby Takato on occassion... Though that's mostly lampshading the fact that he and Erwin are both relatively young grandparents. Impmon also felt concerned for his Tamer, since she's doing too much and not getting enough rest... So he came up with a schedule for her. Unfortunately, they also know that baby Takato will never know either grandmother. It seems that day to day basis for these two sets of families is quite hectic. Kittan will often do some combat practice with Leyte or Dayaka, though that's to get some blood flowing... And to not feel so old. He gets really excited whenever he feels the rush come back to him, and wishes that every day could be like this... Though like Simon on certain days, he knows that would get too old if you got everything you wanted. Even Simon got in on the combat practice, but still couldn't beat Kittan in sword combat. Though, that was mostly due to never being rusty.

Henry still practiced some tai-chi, though Terriermon was trying to get in some practice... But realized that he would need champion level just to practice. Suzie had lopmon evolve into Turuiemon, to practice tai-chi. She seemed to have a much easier time with practice than Terriermon. Rika had come to watch, mostly to draw out the fights that would happen. They thought quite highly of her drawings, and how accurately they depict the battles. She still could use some improvement in the movement departments. Daisuke had still be sifting through some noodle recipes on the internet to see what works, while Hikari volunteered for these experiments. Though Gatomon and V-Mon weren't too far behind in terms of the taste testing. Some didn't turn out well, others did. But Daisuke knew for sure he needed to find one place that didn't have just ramen noodles to cook from. Hikari seemed to be taking the psychology classes very seriously, since she herself has wanted to study and understand her own psychosis. Though, that was mostly on the merit of her wanting to know, why she's a bit of a yandere for Daisuke...

But then again, she knew that Daisuke still loved her for what she is. Ken meanwhile, had volunteered to solve some mysteries for some people around school. Although, he was mostly for using deductive reasoning for finding out the answer to said mysteries. Simon had decided to help him out, since he too solves some crimes going around Shinjuku. Although, Ken still believes that maybe he should try doing most of these on his own... But not without Wormmon of course. Takeru had pondering what it would take to be a publisher, so he had begun writing a story, but not really sure on where to go from there. He felt that maybe, personal experiences would help him on his path. Though Patamon would make sure he doesn't overdo it every night. Taiki and Kiriha seemed to still spend some time doing training with Shoutmon and Greymon. Though, Taiki is still puzzled about the fact that Shoutmon ended up taking in three other mega level Digimon instead of just VictoryGreymon and ZekeGreymon. So, he and Kiriha were looking around and trying to figure things out. Kiriha still has a strong relationship with his father, while Taiki's parents are still a bit overprotective of him when it comes to Digimon. Simon and Nia are both seventeen years old, while everyone else except for Suzie are sixteen, bordering on seventeen. Suzie has officially turned fifteen over the course of the last year...

* * *

Around Shinjuku, Simon was walking with Nia and baby Takato. Who still would fluctuate between which parent he gravitated towards. One day it'd be Simon, and other days, it'd be Nia. When baby Takato opened his eyes for the first time, Simon had been very excited for what color they'd be. Takato's eyes were both red, in contrast to Simon's hazel colored eyes and Nia's light blue eyes. Simon got a good look at baby Takato's eyes and saw that the brand of the exalt, that was on Nia's chest ended up on his left eye. His right eye appeared to have a spiral pattern leading to the pupil. Simon recognized that pattern as one that had developed in his own eyes, due to now having a large amount of spiral energy within him. Nia still enjoyed looking into baby Takato's eyes, and held him very close to her. "So after today's shopping for the kid, how about we go grocery shopping?" Simon asked Nia who responded "I hope you're paying for most of those..." Simon sighed and said "You and me are both getting worked, or working each other to the bone aren't we?" Nia nodded before heading into the store.

There, they found quite a few cute outfits for baby Takato to wear and decided to buy some of them, on the basis of the color scheme... Which seemed to be blue and red. As they were grocery shopping, Nia pondered that this probably would be the rest of their lives... Especially after the best part of a stable relationship. Though, Simon noticed the wandering eyes that would sneer at the two due to both of them being teenage parents. But he knew that telling Nia would make her more aware of it, and cause her to become increasingly angry. After shopping the two headed back to Nia's house, where Erwin and Kittan were waiting. "I see you two decided to do more than shopping for the baby." Erwin said to Nia who responded "Well, Simon thought it'd be fun for more grocery shopping. But then again, at least it was nice showing Takato what Tokyo has to offer." Kittan then said "Yeah, but you haven't even shown him all the cool stuff yet! You've got amazing skyscrapers, local restaurants, heck even the sports arenas are great! He should totally root for the Tokyo Ravens at their next game!" Simon sees that Kittan's gotten all fired up and says "Dad... I don't think he's old enough where sports are going to be a thing in his life. He's only ten months old. And his birthday's coming up in April."

Kittan looked at Simon with a sour expression on his face and said "Way to bring down the mood... But then again, I'll find a way to bring out that fire in your blood. Some day, you'll understand the meaning of screaming at your team when they don't score a point in something!" Simon responds "That's the day when actual pigs can fly. And no, Patamon doesn't count." Kittan shrugs his shoulders and says "Still, way to kill the fun. Just remember, that fire is inside you. Clara didn't give you spiral energy for nothing. She knew you had that type of determination... And I think that you'll become one of the most hot-blooded amongst our family." Simon raised an eyebrow at Kittan's statement, before going to check up on baby Takato. He noticed that he seemed to be asleep already, and decided against bothering him. Simon then headed for the door and said "Well guys, I'm gonna head back home if you don't mind. I gotta make sure that everything's ready before I get to the night shift." Before giving Nia a kiss on the lips, and heading out the door.

Impmon was looking over baby Takato and said "You know Nia, I'm beginning to think that your boyfriend is still worried about the crime that's been going on in the city. You think Black Rose should go in there?" Erwin shook his head at Impmon and responded "For now, there's no need. Since there hasn't been a crime that needed all four of your help this year so far, I decided that for now I'll signal you when we need you. But for now, I believe you two have some work to do later tonight." Nia and Impmon both saluted Erwin and decided to make sure they were both prepared... For their night shift. Simon was messing around with a yo-yo that he found one day, and found he couldn't do much with it. Guilmon sometimes wondered why his partner had some of that strange curiosity in him. "Let's see if I can do a walk the dog..." Simon said before rolling down the yo-yo which then ended up hitting Simon in the face. "I'm sorry... But how on earth do I hit myself with a yo-yo?" Simon asked Guilmon who then responded "Because you can't really do the yo-yo?" Simon sighed in defeat and decided to head up to the roof with Guilmon for combat practice.

On another rooftop, it seemed as though the yellow Guilmon along with a mysterious hooded individual was watching Simon and Guilmon practice. "Takato... Are you sure now was the time to do this? We could've waited for Emir to give us the go-ahead, before heading out you know..." Guilmon asked Takato who then pulled down his hood and responded "I'm positive that now's the time. This is for his own good, and everyone else's own good. Today, Simon Ackerman the Shadow Tamer, dies..." Takato then decides to wait until nightfall, and when Simon's guard is down. Just to strike down whatever would come his way. Later that night, Simon was out patrolling as the Shadow Tamer... With Guilmon still at his side. "So Simon, how's the modifications feel?" Leeron asked on the other end of the comm line. "Leeron, let me tell you this... It feels pretty amazing. It covers practically all the bases, and it's very light and easy to manage. So yes, this is perfect." Simon answered Leeron, who felt very proud of his work and said "Well Simon, just let me know if the day comes that you'll need another few mods added. There's no such thing as absolute perfection you know." Simon nodded and looked down at the street.

The two saw that a bank robbery was in progress. "Seriously? Who robs a bank at night?" Simon asks Guilmon who shrugs his shoulders and the two decide to plan their strategy. They would both sneak in, and take out the guys holding the workers hostage. "I swear, they could not make these ventilation shafts any tighter huh?" Simon said sarcastically regarding his difficulty in traversing the shaft. Guilmon meanwhile, dug underground and made sure that he knew a soft area to punch through. Simon opened up the grate and used his whip to grapple over to a scaffold. "Alright, we've got four thugs, and all of them are armed to the teeth. Looks like this isn't gonna be easy..." Simon said to Guilmon over a communication line the two shared. "Now where's the real heroes here? I would appreciate it if either Black rose, or the Shadow Tamer himself appeared. And if they don't... We start offing workers. Are we clear on that!?" Their leader said, while holding an Ak-47. Guilmon had dug all the way through, and found one of the men holding a worker hostage. He swiftly took him out, and told the hostage to go hide.

Simon meanwhile, was surveying the situation and made sure to check and see if there are any other hostages. "Alright, we're all clear on this end. Time to go to work." Simon said to Guilmon via comm. line. He then jumped down and whipped one of the guns out of the robber's hands. "Sorry to cause a commotion... But I'm gonna ask you kindly to turn yourselves in." Simon said to the robbers, who then looked at each other and tried shooting... Only for Simon to dodge the shots in question. He threw a kick at one of the men, and then wrapped the whip around the other man's torso. "We done here? Cause I got things to do tomorrow... And I don't want to be late." Simon said, while only semi oblivious to the other man leftover pointing a gun at Simon. "Really? You're pointing a gun at me? When more than half your guys are down?" Simon asked the man who responded "I'm just here because our boss hired us. And he'd be very disappointed if we didn't get him the money he needs..."

Simon looked back at the man and used his whip to pull the gun away. "You should've taken the shot nimrod." Simon said before using his whip to knock out the last man. When Simon and Guilmon brought out the group of robbers, the police all had a sigh of relief. "Nice work Mr. Vigilante..." One of them said and Simon responded "All in a days work. Now, if you'll excuse me... I need to do some further patrol." Simon and Guilmon then climbed up to the rooftop, while the officers took in the robbers. "You know Guilmon, sometimes... I don't feel wanted... But I definitely know that in some way, I'm needed." Guilmon nodded and responded "You've been taking this rather well. What happened yesterday?" Simon sighed and answered "Well Guilmon, lately it feels like the world might end up not needing me in the future. So I figured, while I'm still needed I do the best I can. I mean, sure there's the new section of the police force, but there are times when I'm available for a joint operation." As Simon was talking to Guilmon, a hooded figure appeared nearby waiting for the right moment. Guilmon then sniffed for something. Looking for what potential assailant could be behind them.

"Simon, someone's watching us." Guilmon said, having his eyes suddenly go viral. Simon then grabbed one of his throwing knives and aimed for the suspect's shoulder. However, said person in question kicked the knife into the air and then hit it back at Simon... Who then caught it. "Good reflexes... I doubt whoever your father or mother was, taught you how to do that." The hooded man in question removed the coat to reveal that it was, in fact Takato... Whom Simon still assumed was Shinta. "Now, is the time for our rematch." Takato said to Simon who responded "Alright, enough bulshitting Shinta, why are you so fixated on fighting me?" Takato then pulled out the sword, which was a paralell version of Falchion and pointed it at Simon. "Because you ruined my life..." Takato answered with quite a vicious tone. Simon didn't seem all that surprised since he has been awfully spiteful towards him as of late. And yet, he seems to be friendly towards the other Tamers. Sure Yamato didn't end up being all that well acquainted with the gang, but at least he didn't try to outright challenge him to a duel to the death...

* * *

The two then headed towards the unoccupied Shinjuku park. Though that was mostly because it was late, and nobody in their right minds would be out at this hour with the exception of a few people and Digimon. Simon looked him in the eyes and asked "Before we do this, can I ask... Why? I know I supposedly ruined your life but, I don't even know you." Takato sighed and responded "Oh, but you do know me. You know me very well, Simon. You and I actually have quite a lot of history behind us. And still can't believe you have the audacity to look at me with that same stoic expression." Simon was about to ask another question... Until Emir walked into the park, listening to some music. "Oh, hey Shinta! I've been looking for ya. So, has he figured it out yet? Or are you still being stubborn and beating around the bush?" Emir asked Takato who then sneered at him. Simon then ponders one possibility. "Shinta, I'm going to take a shot in the dark and assume those are contact lens you're wearing... You mind taking them off?" Simon said to Takato who responded "Gladly..." Before reaching into his eye, and struggling to pull of the contact lens. After a while of struggling, Takato panted and had his hands on his knees.

Takato then raised his head to look Simon in his eyes, and Simon saw what was in his. "You know... I've been right about a lot of things. But this... Is not something I wanted to be right about." Simon said to Takato who responded "Why's that!? Because you think I'm a failure!? Or is it because you're deeply ashamed of me!?" Simon shook his head and answered "It's because... I didn't want this to be the way you turned out. I thought, I was being a good father to you. I cared for you, I loved you every single day, and I even changed your diapers! But now... I see that, I'm a failure at being a flawed human being... And a failure at being a father." Emir sighs and says "Simon, you're getting better... It's just that face you need to work on." Takato looks at Simon, his father and says "You make that stoic facade, until you reveal who you really are underneath... Nothing but scum. You're only like this, until that darkness consumes you and then you plan to destroy everything you supposedly care about. When in actuality, you're nothing but an insane psychopath. You probably looked at my eyes the day I was born, with a psychotic smile that showed me what you planned to do from day one! And I'm here in this timeline, to prevent you from ever causing me or anyone else misery! Especially mom!"

Guilmon meanwhile, seemed to be conversing with his son... Who was a Guilmon. "So wait... He didn't figure it out based on the hair?" The yellow Guilmon asked his father who responded "Well, brunette is a common color... And the only way to really prove himself, was to show his eyes." The yellow Guilmon somewhat understood. But still stood in Guilmon's way. "I'm sorry dad... But I can't let you interfere with Takatomon's mission." Guilmon sighed and decided to believe in his Tamer. Simon pulled out Falchion and said "Takato... I know that you may be my son... And I probably did terrible things to you in the future. But there really is nothing I can say, except... I'm sorry." Simon then shed a single manly tear. Emir sighed and said "Well since you two are unbelievably stubborn, I'm gonna listen to some tunes while you fight..." Simon gives Emir a skeptical look, while Emir sits down and puts on his headphones before picking a song...

[Cue Persona 3 ost Heartful Cry]

The two looked at each other, poised to strike one another. "This is for your own good! I'll make sure you at least die a hero!" Takato said before charging at Simon, who blocked the blade. "You know, I think Emir might've taught a few tricks here and there!" Simon said before overpowering Takato's blade, and continued striking at his Falchion... Hoping to win just by disarming him. Unfortunately, Takato's strength was somewhat on par with Simon's. Takato tried throwing a kick at Simon's side... Only to be blocked by Simon's right arm. They both somehow ended up disarming each other, and Simon decided to rely on his hand to hand skills. The two threw well aimed punches and kicks, that they each blocked and/or dodged. Though Takato ended up stealing one of Simon's knives and cut his face. Simon then pulled out his whip and knocked the knife out of Takato's hand. He felt a bruise on his hand, and looked at Simon... Who ended up feeling a little sorry for him. "This pain... Is nothing compared to what you did to mom!" Takato yelled before running up to Simon and pinning him to the ground.

He then proceeded to keep punching him into submission. After a while, Takato got up off of Simon to see the injuries on his face heal. "So, that's why you can't feel pain huh? Because you can just heal it away?" Takato asked sarcastically, to Simon who's expression was obscured by some shadow. Takato then pulls back another punch and says "Well, this oughta make you feel something!" Before launching a punch, which Simon dodges and grabs before pinning Takato on the ground. Holding his arm in that extended position, twisting it to the point where he could dislocate it. Simon then responds "I may heal from every blow given to me... But that doesn't mean I don't feel it! You have two choices Takato, give up now... Or I'm going to dislocate your shoulder... Your choice..." Takato looks into his father's eyes which he now sees are quite sad. He realizes that perhaps, his father actually is pained in more ways than one. Takato also sees that Simon is very hesitant and takes the whip into his hand. And it looked like the two were about to take shots at each other. But then... Emir got tired, and realized the song on his music player stopped looping. And put his foot in between the two...

[End Persona 3 ost Heartful Cry]

"That's enough you two." Emir said before Simon released his grip on Takato's arm and grabbed the whip out of his son's hand. The two stood face to face with each other, while Takato starts to feel his resolve breaking. "Takato, I've made a lot of hard decisions in my life... Dislocating your shoulder is one that I'm not willing to make." Simon said to Takato who responded "You coward... Even when you look caring, it's out of cowardice. You're just a coward who's not willing to show your true colors, and-" Emir then smacked Takato in the face. "How about, instead of just saying what he is, how about telling us how in what way?" Emir asked Takato who rubbed his cheek. "Alright fine... In the future where he comes from, he deigns to rule over literally everything, with an iron fist. And almost every time he's near mom, he would torture her... Just for his own amusement. And yet, anytime he would try coming near me... He always seems so hesitant. Every one of the Tamers are dead. Henry, Rika, Suzie, EVERYONE! Nia was all that was left, and yet every time she would tell me how great of a person you were. And when I looked at your emotionless face... I could only look in disgust. How could I possibly know a man I never met before in my entire life!"

Emir looks over at Simon who then says "I think there might be a few plot holes in your story..." Takato looks at Simon and responds "What do you mean?" Emir then answers "He means that, you haven't explained how he tortured you." Takato then looks away and says "He made me watch mom die, and told me that he only lets me live... Just so that I could continue to be tortured by him..." Simon sighs and says "And this is why I don't like time travel tropes... When someone from the future comes in, and tries to explain this crap... They don't have the details I need. And besides..." Simon then embraces Takato and holds him closely. "Every time I looked at you as a baby... I never once dreamed of hitting you. Nor have I ever dreamed of hurting Nia. I love both of you, as my greatest family treasures..." Simon says to Takato, who then feels that maybe he was wrong the whole time... And realizes that maybe Simon isn't so bad after all. He then starts crying into Simon's chest. The two Guilmon were hugging each other out of finally seeing some clarity.

"Alright, now that that's over with... how about you show yourself!" Emir says before pointing his knife at a figure in the trees... Which turns out to be Grima... "I see, so you've known that I was here eh?" Grima asks Emir while still standing on a tree branch. "You make it too easy..." Emir answers before both Simon and Takato break out of the hug to grab their Falchions, and point them at Grima. "There's no point in fighting yet boys... This is merely but a projection of myself." Grima said to the duo, before lowering himself to the ground. "What did you came here for?" Simon asked Grima who responded "Simple, I came here to see how the fight went. And seeing as though you're still alive, it appears the paradox had let you live." He then approached the trio and continued. "I find this very vexing. Father and son, reconsiling over just mere words. Words that wouldn't be enough for the sane man to hear. So then, What will you do now? Will you fight a futile battle against a god? Or... Will you submit to your roles in this play?" Takato then yelled "Shut up! We're not part of your little play! We have willpower of our own! And we plan on using it to destroy whatever you are!"

Grima saw some fire in the boy's eyes... That same fire lied in someone else he fought. "It appears the fire within that first one's eyes is genetic." Grima said pointing out the look in the boy's eyes. Simon looks over at Takato, and says "You swing wildly at a hologram, and you're not gonna accomplish anything. Wait until the real thing appears." Takato looks back at his father, and sees that stoic expression again. Though this time, he knew the emotions behind it. "You must enjoy being the puppetmaster don't you? Always being able to pull whatever string, just to bring everyone together. And now, you've even added your own son to your growing strings of puppets." Simon then looked over at Grima's direction, and glared at him. Grima looked at Emir and said "Well then Peterson, I look forward to torturing you in the near future." Emir responded "Yeah... I don't have any time for wimpy gods, The only gods I have to go after, are the big fish... And you are but a mere guppy." Grima shrugged his shoulders and said "Fair enough, but mark my words... My debut will be quite devastating. So look forward to that Digimon Tamers..." Before fading away.

The three looked at each other afterwards, and tried to come up with a plan. "Alright, Takato... We'll discuss things before the final battle back at home." Emir said to Takato who then had memories, of Emir's adopted sister. "On second thought Emir... How about I stay with dad for now?" Takato asked Emir who smiled and responded "I'm glad we settled that. And by the way Simon... Laters!" Emir then leaves very stealthfully. Simon looks at Takato, while the two Guilmon appeared from the bushes. "It's okay Simon, I'll be staying here for the night... Since my son here wants some bonding time as well." Guilmon said to Simon who then patted him and responded "Alright, just be careful that nobody spots you two okay?" Guilmon nodded and Simon left with Takato back home. "Now, son... I'm gonna be taking you to my little place... Where I like to keep all the personal things from Simon." Guilmon said to his yellow son, who asked "But don't you live with Simon?"

Guilmon sighed and answered "Those two need to be alone right now." The two then headed into the abandoned tool shed, and hung out for a bit. Simon and Takato meanwhile, got to the apartment... And Simon set up a futon. "Takato... When was the last time you bathed?" Simon asked Takato, who responded "Um... I didn't really think of that." Simon then pointed towards where his shower was, and Takato proceeded to enter into the bathroom. Simon sighed at that experience... And wondered how he was going to tell Kittan about this. "I am seriously pondering an explanation to all this. I mean, my own son time-traveled at first to kill me... But then we made up. And, I really hope that I can make things right to him." Simon said to himself while sitting on his bed. Takato came out of the shower with a set of pajamas, that Simon left out for him and said "Well dad, I'm squeaky clean now. Can I go to bed?" Simon sighed and responded "Yes my boy, you can go to bed." He nodded before laying on the futon and falling asleep. Simon looked over at the boy before falling asleep himself.

* * *

The next day...

Simon woke up early as usual, and got dressed in his Senior year school uniform. Though, Takato was still asleep. Simon looked over at the boy and thought "This must've been the longest he's ever slept in his whole life... Well, I should leave a note, with detailed instructions... Just so he'd know what to do for breakfast." Simon then wrote down the extensive note. And left smiling at his son on the floor. Takato woke up a few minutes later... Seeing that his dad wasn't in the apartment. "A note? With all these instructions?" Takato asked himself before looking through all of them. "Jeez dad! You're really that thorough about all this?!" Takato said in shock after looking through each of the notes. But then he hears his cell phone ringing. "How in the hell?" Takato asked himself once again, before picking up the phone. "Hello?" Takato asked before hearing his father's voice on the other line. "Sorry, I got up a bit earlier because of school. Listen, I know you really looked forward to some father/son activities, but I'm understandably busy right now. So, just make sure that you don't end up blowing up my place okay?" Simon said to Takato who responded "Don't worry dad, I got this. Just have fun at school alright?"

Simon sighed and said "I love you son..." And hung up. Takato, didn't really know how to take that, since he only heard those words once before from Simon's mouth. He felt, overjoyed to hear that... And decided to make sure he checked off all the bases. Though, when he was changing into one of Simon's casual clothes, he didn't hear Kittan knocking on the door. "Well, I guess Simon must've left for school then." Kittan said before entering the room to see... Takato wearing some of Simon's clothes. "Aren't you that Shinta kid that Davis told us about?" Kittan asked Takato who responded "Hi grandpa..." In a shy manner. Kittan was at first very confused, until he looked into Takato's eyes and said "Kid... You and I are gonna have a long chat!" He then dragged Takato over to his apartment where, Leeron was also present. Kittan told him about how he was Takato, but likely from the future. "First, I need a blood sample." Leeron said before pulling out a small pricker. Takato sighed and raised his arm to Leeron. He then examined the blood to see that he is in fact, the same one.

"Yep, he's our little grandkid!" Leeron said to Kittan who then looked over at Takato, who then asked "Wait? All of your little grandkid? I thought I was just related to Kittan and Erwin? How are you all related to me?" Kittan then answered "My mercenary gang is like a family to me, and a family to your daddy. Whom, I assumed was out doing things correct?" Takato nodded in response to Kittan's question. "So then kid... How far in the future are you from?" Leeron asked Takato who responded "Does it really matter that much?" Kittan saw a little snark in that and asked "First, who taught you how to snark? Second, it really does matter since we might need to know what to do!" Takato didn't really have much, since Emir didn't really perfect his snarking technique. So, he just sighed and responded "Fine, it was Simon's friend Emir. Who I had to learn from in order to beat him."

Kittan and Leeron were both really confused, since they knew Simon for practically his whole life. "You're really gonna have to come up with an explanation for this kid. Cause otherwise, we might not believe you on being my grandson." Kittan said to Takato who was about to say something... Until Leyte and Dayaka came back from breakfast. "You know, you could've told us that Simon found a new friend. I would've shown him my medical equipment." Leyte said, intimidating Takato before Dayaka added "It's not that bad, she's just trying to make sure you don't get hurt... That's all." Leyte sighed and said "Gotta kill the fun don'tcha?" Takato sighs and says "Alright, here's what I was going to tell Kittan and Leeron." Before going into a long winded explanation about his future. All the hardships he went through. Suzume. The things that Simon from the future did. Suzume. The training before his fight with Simon... And Suzume. "And that's how it went." Takato finished explaining and Kittan then asked "Okay, that's great and all... But who's this Suzume chick?" Takato shuddered at the mere name and answered "She's... Emir's adopted little sister..."

 **つづく**


	37. It truly is a Grim world

The following is a non-profit Fanfiction. Digimon is owned by Toei Animation, Bandai, Akiyoshi Hongo and licensed by Saban Brands. Please support the official release, by buying the DVDs...

Digimon Tamers Crimson: Knights of Grim Episode 33: It truly is a Grim World...

Within Yggdrasil's tree...

It seemed that the time had come. The moment that both master, and servant were waiting for. It seemed that the DoruGreymon, consumed by darkness had begun to change once more. Becoming a more fearsome creature. This one... Was clad entirely in black armor, and had dark red eyes. Eyes that would, if possible, kill with just a look. He also wore a white cape that flowed behind him. However, it seemed as though he exuded the dark aura that entered him as well. "Master! Are you seeing this?!" Yggdrasil asked out of excitement, before Grima gave the order to release the creature. He then stood before Grima and Yggdrasil, somewhat confused but looked around for the answer. "Welcome back to the living Alphamon. I assure you, that everything you see here is one hundred percent real. You might recognize me... Royal Knight." Grima said to Alphamon who then turned to face the fell dragon. Alphamon pondered the thought and then kneeled before Grima. He then said "Of course Master Grima... I do recognize you. From what Yggdrasil told me, you are the one who has been leading our campaign."

Grima got up and responded "Of course... But because of your former friends, that failed. And sometimes I wonder... How can this plan be improved?" Alphamon looked over at Yggdrasil who then headed over to Grima's side. "I figured that our newest campaign, could be enhanced with you once again at our side. Would you allow me to brand you?" Yggdrasil said before summoning a tendril with Yggdrasil's logo on it. Alphamon wondered where he would go at this point, since the darkness within him... Is compelling him to stay and see where this ends. "Very well... I am once again at your service... Lord Grima. I shall do whatever you say, no matter what it may be." Yggdrasil grinned and branded the Royal Knight. Alphamon seemed to feel a little strange, but it felt like it was quelling his darkness. "Good... Now that you're just about ready, how about we make a showcase of our power?" Grima asked Alphamon who then responded "My lord... Isn't that a waste of our time, and potential resources?" Grima giggled a bit at that and answered "I have plenty of time... We just need to enter, and demonstrate to mankind... Why they don't stand a ghost of a chance." They then looked at a portal before jumping into it.

* * *

In the Human world...

The man who had built the robot nearly two years ago... Had returned from his brief bit in a police car... And got some new parts to build a new one. It was Rufus, and he plotted to make Simon and the others pay. "Seeing that Digimon's power got me wondering... How could we possibly stand up to something like that? And prove once and for all, that humanity has no need of these god like monsters?" Rufus asked one of his workers this hypothetical question. "Sir, why are you asking us this? I mean, you already told us this." The worker responded to Rufus, who then realized what he asked wasn't necessary. "Fine then, Gentlemen... We've had our ups, and downs. Having to spend years of hard work improving on what was otherwise, a flawed product. I feel that wouldn't be necessary... Had there not been the so called "Necessary Evil" That is the Digimon. They're nothing but unpredictable monsters, that are only capable of destruction. These creatures, are only there just to be a child's play toy. And in the end, all those so called "Heroes" on the news want is destroy everything we hold dear. Now, with our new technology and knowledge of the enemy, we can mount an offensive! And once we destroy the Digimon in this world, we shall move on to exterminate those in that Digital Dimension known as the Digital World! Only then, will we achieve true security in our lives. I only wish to save every man, woman and child within this city and anywhere else in the world that needs protection. We, are the new protectors of Japan! We, are the one true defenders of humanity! We! Are the future of this Earth!" Rufus said to try and rally the others into his battle.

Many of the workers looked at him, and cheered in response. Rufus smiled and then said "Good, there is a distortion taking place nearby in Shinjuku. And there, is where we shall make our next move! If the Digimon Tamers are there, that only adds to our conquest! And soon, the world shall understand, that we are it's only true security!" He then entered the machine and activated it. The workers got their firearms and decided to fly in on helicopters. "Sir, we'll scout ahead to see the details. If we don't come back..." One of the workers said to Rufus on radio, and he responded "Oh, don't worry about that... I'll be there shortly..."

* * *

In EDEN...

Jesmon was meditating in a temple within the city. Hoping to channel his power, and possibly strengthen himself. Although, one of the citizens who appeared to be a small bear Digimon named... Bearmon. Approached Jesmon. "What is your business here young one?" Jesmon asked the Bearmon who responded "There's some kind of disturbance in the human world." Jesmon sighed and asked "If it's in the human world, the Digimon Tamers could easily handle it." Bearmon shakes his head rapidly and responds "But you don't understand! The distortion's as big as the one the Royal Knights appeared from!" Jesmon's interest piqued at those words. "How do you know this?" Jesmon asked Bearmon who answered "Actually, someone from the Digital World pointed it out, and I came to tell you this since I wasn't in the crowd."

Jesmon then stood up and said "Very well child, I shall head out into the human world... And confront this threat." He then flew up into the circuits leading to EDEN and Bearmon merely prayed for his safety. Jesmon meanwhile, had pondered to himself what could possibly be so big, that it rivals the Royal Knights. "It's inconceivable. How could something as big as my old comrades appear now? Most of them are already dead, while a few of my friends are still alive and well. Who did we end up forgetting?" Jesmon asked himself before he suddenly remembered one of the former knights. "It can't be! If he's with Yggdrasil and Grima, then that could only mean... No, I must hasten my pace! It's now, or never!" Jesmon continued to say before he finally ended up in the human world...

* * *

[Cue Brave Shine by Aimer]

(There was a small wasteland, that Takato had stood in... As though representing his current world. He stands up, looking onto the horizon.)

(Simon is seen practicing with Falchion, however he too looks over and realizes he and Guilmon need to be at a fight.)  
 _ **I'm stuck in a never ending dream Where my wishes and hopes can't be seen And it's killing me, but I can't let go**_

(Nia is seen having a meeting with Black Rose, though she's more focused on what's possibly below and the others look toward the same horizon.)  
 _ **There's a sadness raining down on me And the future is looking oh so bleak But I'm holdin on, so dearly, to precious memories**_

(It then cuts to Simon and Nia tending to Baby Takato, and then to Henry, Rika and Suzie looking in front of them, while Henry's circuits glow. But then it cuts to Yggdrasil, hovering over a smiling Grima.)  
 _ **To protect the ones I cherish I've got to be stronger.**_  
 _ **Don't want to hesitate, I wanna be braver So no matter what may come I can face the morning sun**_

(Grima then smiles while launching several tendrils at Jesmon, who bats them back with brute force.)  
 _ **Brave Shine!**_  
 ** _You reached out to me, you let me see your light_  
** (It then cuts to Alphamon and Omnimon facing off, with Omnimon firing his supreme cannon at Alphamon. And then to Simon and Takato's earlier duel.)  
 ** _On the night I suffered most, you saved my life  
_ ** (Simon and Takato then hold up their respective Falchions, as though to signify union.)  
 ** _Wielding all the things that we believe in  
_ ** (We then cut to Taiki, Kiriha and their Digimon of Xros Heart, and then to Taichi with his friends.)  
 ** _A test of faith I know I can win_  
** (Later a cut between Daisuke, Hikari, V-Mon and Gatomon along with Takeru and Patamon, and Ken with Wormmon)  
 ** _I'll grant us love and peace for all time_  
** (It then cuts to Grima looking over the world in the tree without his hood. And cuts to Simon and Grima preparing to face off.)  
 _ **Cause you Shine...**_

[End Brave Shine]

* * *

At Shinjuku High...

Simon had made a phone call to someone on the rooftop. He wanted to be sure that he had time, before class that is. Nia came up to check on him and asked "Simon? What's wrong?" Simon looked to her and responded "Well Nia, last night was quite eventful so to say." Nia was somewhat curious as to what Simon was about to say... Until he added "But, we need to make sure every one of the Tamers and Xros Heart is present." Nia felt a bit disappointed and responded "Oh... Well, I'll be at the meeting then." While leaving the rooftop. Simon looked in his pocket and noticed the ring he bought a couple days ago. "I wish that it was that news Nia... I really do..." Simon said to himself a bit sadly. He then picked up his bag and headed back for class. After class, Simon had made yet another phone call... To Takato, who was still hanging out with Kittan and the others.

* * *

At Kittan's apartment...

"And despite all those hardships you went through with Emir's sister... You still stayed there?" Leyte asked Takato who responded "Well, I was determined. So no matter what I had to take on, I needed to get stronger. And so, here I am... Talking with you guys after some breakfast... Waiting for dad to give me a phone call." Everybody was then wondering exactly why Simon would give a phone call at this point in time. That is, until Takato's phone vibrated. "Oh, that must be him... Hello?" Takato said before hearing Simon's voice on the other side. "For now, just play along with your other name okay?" Takato nodded and decided to go along with Simon's demand. "Alright, so Shinta... Can you meet me and the others in the park?" Simon asked on the other side to which Takato responded "Yeah sure. I'll be there asap... And I still don't know what that means." Simon sighed and said "Asap means as soon as possible. Just make sure to bring your stuff alright?" Takato nodded and responded "Okay, love you dad." He then hung up the phone, and Simon raised an eyebrow before saying to himself "So this is what Kittan feels like whenever I say that to him." Simon felt quite happy afterwards, and put his phone on sleep mode.

Takato had put on his gear beforehand, and equipped his version of the Falchion. "So that's the one thing Simon left you?" Kittan asked Takato who smiled and responded "Well, in some way yes. But as you are aware, he wasn't in the right mindset when I got this blade." Kittan then sighed remembering what his grandson told him of the future. "Look, I know I can be a bit of a poor judge of my own kid... But after several times of bonding, I can see that he isn't the type who would kill his friends and torture Nia." Takato was a bit curious by what he meant, until he said "It was because I was a mercenary, that I didn't have a whole lot of time to understand my own kid. And after coming back home to see that he became the monster that had him under his thrall... I realized that I shouldn't run away from him." Takato then realized that even his grandfather wasn't perfect. "So, you had basically ran away from dad... Just to make sure he was covered?" Takato asked Kittan who sighed and answered "And I really had no one to blame but myself, for the pain he had to suffer every day. So yeah, I was shit at my job. And I felt I didn't have any right to be near him after that faithful day. The worst part, is that he never blamed me at all."

Takato then looked at Kittan and said "Well, at least you didn't end up likely possessed by some demon. But then again, I never really knew my dad either." Takato then walked out the door with his equipment, while Kittan looked at an old family picture of himself, Simon and Clara. "I know you always told him to not blame me, for his lack of initial courage... But then again, that was only because you were defending me. I know me and Simon have patched things up... But, I still feel like he deserved better from me, than one monster inside him and a life of troubles." Kittan said to himself, before Leeron, Leyte and Dayaka walked in to see the photo. "Y'know Kittan, even she must get tired of your brooding. That's probably why she wanted you to not worry." Leyte said, as though lecturing him. "She was one helluva sweetheart, but you've been doing much better. Simon still loves you to this day. And I don't want you to ever forget that." Dayaka added, and then Kittan got up before hugging the group...

* * *

Down in Shinjuku park, Simon and co. have gathered along with Xros Heart, and the college tamers. "So Simon, looking forward to graduating High School and possibly joining us?" Taichi asked Simon who responded "Well... In a manner of speaking, yes. Though I hope I don't end up rooming with Matt." Yamato then said "Something you and I agree on." Rika then got a bit angry and said "Can we please focus on the matter at hand! Now fearless leader, what exactly are we doing here gathered at the park?!" Simon then responded "Patience Rika, we have to wait for Shinta to arrive and then we'll talk." Daisuke seemed confused and asked "What does Shinta have to do with this?" Ken then pondered what the reasons could possibly be. Henry looked over at Nia and asked "So Nia, what are you so sullen about?" Nia looked back at Henry and responded "You know... I feel like nothing interesting's happened since the day my baby boy was born. And, I'm not sure if anything's been happening on anyone else's ends."

Henry pondered what he and Suzie did recently. "Well, Terriermon's picked up some Tai-chi moves... And is hoping to get really good at it." Henry said and Terriermon on top of Henry's head started practicing some moves. "Quiet horsey... I'm breathing..." Terriermon said. Though the horsey part was a joke, based on how often he's on top of Henry's shoulders and head. Henry was unsure of why Terriermon would practice on Henry's head, although Lopmon was quick to answer. "Oh! I think it's so he could learn how to balance on unsteady surfaces!" Lopmon said and Suzie giggled at Lopmon's theory. Rika sighed and said "Recently, Kari's been on one of my shopping trips with my mom and I. Though, that was mostly for "girl time"." Hikari responded "Well that's only because you thought it was a nightmare. But you loved it, admit it!" Rika was a bit quiet, though that was mostly being in denial. Daisuke then said "Well, I went out for soccer practice with Ken and V-Mon, while also studying with him at times." Ken added "That's mostly because you think of me as a study buddy." Daisuke then did a bro-fist with Ken... Before the conversation switched over to Takeru and Patamon. "We mostly sat around and watched Gabumon, during some days when Matt was in college and Dad couldn't watch him."

Mimi walked over to Rika and asked "Do you think I could get acquainted with your mom?" Rika then responded "Most of the time, she's doing photo shoots and busy dealing with some agents for a top magazine." Mimi pondered which magazine that it could be, until she remembered that Rumiko was in fact Rika's mother. "Yeah, I still gotta meet your mom sometime. Cause she is quite famous around places like Odaiba... And finding out she's where the fun is... Only makes it that much better!" Rika sighs and says "Okay, one day I'll get you and mom to meet. But for now, let's just see if Simon will tell us." They along with everyone else looked at Simon, who sighed and said "Shinta's almost here. Just relax... And momentai." Terriermon tries not to cringe at Simon using his catch phrase. "Hey guys! Sorry I'm late!" Shinta said before he started panting. Guilmon started sniffing and noticed that everyone, and their Digimon are present. "Oh, how about we go see what's up?" the yellow Guilmon got up and headed for the area.

Renamon had intercepted Guilmon and asked "Guilmon... Since when did you have a twin?" The yellow Guilmon was shocked to see Renamon, who he had some memories of, but didn't really get all that clear of an image... Until now. "M-M-M-Mommy?" The yellow Guilmon said before tears started streaming from his eyes. Renamon at first was confused, until he hugged her. Renamon then recognized the scent that was nearby her. "But... How? Your Tamer is just a baby?! How did you get to Rookie level?" Renamon asked in shock. "That's not our Gyarimon Renamon... He's from the future... Just like his Tamer." Guilmon said to answer Renamon's question. Renamon then returned the affection her son gave her. "I'm sorry... This is just so much to take in. Time travel doesn't seem to be a thing for Digimon to go through, seeing as though we're practically ageless." Renamon said to her child, as she was cuddling with him. Terriermon had decided to go after Renamon, and had his mind blown by the plot twist. Henry himself went after his little brother, and saw the display. "I guess time travel must be some kind of weird thing huh?" Henry asked the group before they decided to meet up with the others...

Kiriha looked at Shinta and said "Alright, we're out here for something so what is it?" Taiki had tried running a few theories through his head, only for them to be inconclusive. Shoutmon looked over at the two Guilmons and said "Okay, and now I'm seeing double. Though the double in this case is yellow." Takato then went up to Nia and said "Look into my eyes... And tell me what you see..." Nia nodded and looked into Takato's eyes, and saw the exact same thing in his eyes as her child. "You're..." Nia was about to say, while Impmon was still confused... Until Takato said "That's right... I'm-" Nia then instinctively hugged Takato and said "My baby... You're... You're... So big!" Nia had realized that Takato was somewhat tall, though slightly shorter than Henry in comparison. Koushiro then looked at the three and said "I guess we should've considered Time travel, as one of the many strange events of being a Digimon Tamer."

Taichi seemed quite flabbergasted at the whole thing, while Yamato sighed at how he probably should've seen this coming, based on the shows he used to watch. Daisuke went up to Takato and said "So, you told us your name was Shinta... Just so that things wouldn't really change?" Takato nodded to Daisuke's question, and he felt content with the answer. Ken examined his clothing and said "You know, that clothing seems to come from the past... Rather than the future... So what happens? Is it some kind of post-apocalyptic wasteland?" Takato sighed and sat down on a rock. "You guys have some drinks? Cause this is gonna be a bit lengthy. From what I heard from mom, it started during the final battle against Yggdrasil..." Takato started before getting into yet another long explanation to what happens in the future. When he described that Simon, was supposedly the one who caused him pain and torment... Yamato opted to punch Simon in the face. Though, Takeru restrained him from it, saying "Matt, let him finish before you start punching!" Yamato sighed and went back to sitting with Gabumon...

* * *

Meanwhile...

There appeared to be a giant distortion in the sky above a local shopping mall. Many people noticed this, and stared at it... Slack-jawed and not opting to get the hell out of dodge. Out of the distortion came Alphamon, who seemed to be quite dangerous. "Attention humans... Unless the Digimon Tamers show themselves, here and now... I shall start systematically killing you, one by one..." Alphamon said, and then everyone started panicking immediately... Running either for cover, or just getting out of the mall. Though, he saw a group of helicopters with small foot soldiers pointing guns at him. "Please... Humans with small and pitiful weapons could not hope to damage me." Alphamon said to himself before raising his hand and saying " **Soul... Digitize...** " Before firing a group of blasts from his hands that destroyed all the helicopters, nearly killing the foot soldiers. "And that was, as you humans call... A warning shot. Next time, I won't miss any of you." Alphamon said to the group who then opened fire on him.

"Tch... I give you a chance to walk away, and bring me the real challenge... And all you do is dwindle my patience... Very well, you're willing to throw your lives away, and so be it." Alphamon said before bringing out his blade and swinging it down on a group of foot soldiers. Suddenly, his blade was stopped by a pair of blades. "I know not all of mankind is pleasant, but I plead for you not to needlessly end them." Jesmon said before batting back Alphamon's blade. Alphamon kept his stance up, and looked closely at his former ally. "I see... So this is what Humans have done to you... How very sad. You along with Gankoomon were two of the strongest knights. And yet, here you are... Fighting to defend these humans." Alphamon said to Jesmon who responded "There are quite a few of us, who would rather serve humanity than your master Yggdrasil!" All of a sudden, a mysterious hooded figure appeared on top of Alphamon's head and said "Oh please... Yggdrasil isn't the master... I am." Jesmon looked at the figure and recognized it almost immediately. "You... Your aura... You must be the fell dragon, Grima!" Jesmon said to Grima who responded "In the flesh. And unlike all of our other encounters, I'm the real deal..." Grima then descended towards the ground in front of Jesmon, as though preparing for a fight with him...

* * *

Earlier with the Tamers...

"And that's my whole story. From beginning, to right now..." Takato finished explaining to everyone, who ended up a bit shocked that all of this happened because, something changed within Simon. "But... Simon would never do such a thing!" Nia said, knowing her beloved isn't a scumbag like Takato said. Simon then added "Yes, we all know that... We just need to figure out what the hell happened between then, and later on..." Henry was pondering the possibilities, and came up with something. "Hey Simon? Did you have a weird feeling when you touched that skeleton in the Digital World?" Henry asked Simon who responded "Now that you mention it, I did end up with a weird feeling when I touched it. Why?" Sora looked at Taichi and asked "What's Henry talking about Tai?" Taichi looked back at Sora and answered "There was this huge ass skeleton in the Digital World, and it was of a massive dragon that died quite a long time ago." Agumon and Shoutmon were pondering what that could mean, until Koushiro's vision was directed towards the sky. "Um guys... You might want to check this out." Koushiro said to the others, who then looked in Koushiro's direction. Taichi got the cue and put his goggles, only to see what is likely a portal nearly the size of Bagramon's portal being projected in the sky. "Oh no..." Taichi said a bit frightened by the whole thing. "Matt... We need Omnimon..." Taichi said to Yamato who nodded before they inserted their core drills into their Digivices...

 **SPIRAL MATRIX EVOLUTION._**

 **Agumon... Gabumon... Spiral Matrix Evolve to... Omnimon!**

Omnimon had prepared his blade and said "I'm going to scout ahead, you try to keep up with me!" Before flying towards the battle. Simon then said Nia "Formulate a plan and back up Omnimon when needed. I'll be going on with Guilmon." Nia nodded before Simon and Guilmon followed the Royal Knight. Simon had brought his case with him, and took out Falchion, as well as the armor plating. "For now, we wait until Omnimon needs us... Okay?" Simon said to Guilmon who nodded before they headed to the mall...

The group meanwhile, were a bit appalled by the fact that Simon decided to go on his own. "Did dad... Learn anything from his past experiences?" Takato asked Nia who responded "He did, but I'm guessing he had us helping Omnimon... Due to whatever he's fighting seems to be a personal issue only he can deal with." Takato shook his head and said "Well whatever it is... I need to get in there and help! C'mon Guilmon! We're gonna save our dads!" He then ran with his Guilmon towards the direction in which Simon was going, and the others sighed at the familiarity. "It wouldn't be Simon's kid without that distinction huh?" Takeru asked the others, who nodded and looked onward. "So, I guess we're not gonna wait here for them?" Taiki asked and everyone shook their heads in confirmation. They all then used their core drills, and spiral matrix evolved with their partners in order to help. However, Beelzemon had a noticeable difference. He ended up gaining a large arm cannon on his right arm, and it appeared to open like a large mouth. To exaggerate this mouth part, it also came with actual teeth.

KingShoutmon then asked "Is that thing new or something?" Beelzemon looked back at KingShoutmon and answered "I actually acquired this quite a while ago. During the time when Black Rose was still all the rage." MegaGargomon sighed and turned into Emerald mode, before offering Sakuyamon a ride. "My, you're still the gentleman that I know you for." Sakuyamon said to MegaGargomon who responded "Well, you know me best Rika." They then flew over to the general area, and as Simon was running across the rooftops with Guilmon he sensed the other's prescience. "I didn't tell them to sit on their hands. I said, "Come up with a plan, and then help Omnimon." Does everyone think I still don't believe in them?!" Simon said regarding the whole thing. Once they reached the mall, they saw that Jesmon was engaged with Grima, though the figure representing the fell dragon wasn't doing much... Except for waving his arms around, while tendrils of darkness tried piercing through Jesmon's impregnable defense.

Jesmon was batting back most of Grima's attacks, and it seemed that Grima was merely studying the Royal Knight... Hoping to find out more on how to take him out. "So that's how it is..." Grima said, before summoning tendrils to encircle the knight. Jesmon then had his arms crossed, and suddenly he glowed gold in front of Grima. Alphamon had not wanted to interfere, unless his master was in danger of losing the battle. Unfortunately, he had his own battle to fight. "Alphamon... How are you alive? I thought Gallantmon had killed you?" Omnimon asked his former comrade, who responded "Ah... It's been a long time Omnimon. Seeing you here, reminded me of our old days... Back when we used to be known as the "Alphamon and the Omegamon"... And now, I can see that the Alpha and the Omega must do battle once more." Omnimon seemed to look down in shame, the shame that his old comrade that he thought was put down had resurfaced into the world.

"But why?! Why does it have to be this way?! If it's because of that entitled bastard, then let's end him! Let's go back to the way things were! You could help us... Join us and together we can destroy Yggdrasil once and for all!" Alphamon looked away from Omnimon and responded "My friend... I'm afraid that, with all this corruption... And the brand once again marking me as their servant... Even if I wanted to, I cannot return to you. They've ordered me back into service once more, and with my current power I can only do harm rather than good. So please understand that, you have to kill me." Omnimon seemed a bit confused by what he meant, until he realized the possiblity of Grima needing him for a scheme that he possibly hatched. "Let's do battle elsewhere. The others will follow us, in case I fail." Omnimon said before flying off with Alphamon and half of the group following Omnimon. That half consisted of... Imperialdramon, Ophanimon, Seraphimon, KingShoutmon, ZekeGreymon and Kiriha, HerculesKabuterimon, Hououmon and Rosemon. The remaining portion of merged Digimon remained to watch the fight between Grima and Jesmon.

* * *

As Simon was watching the fight, he noticed that Jesmon seemed to stop moving whenever he had to shield himself. "Grima is analyzing him... Hoping to gain an advantage over him." Simon said to himself. Takato walked up to Simon and asked "What do you mean by analyzing him? Couldn't Jesmon get close to him?" Simon shook his head and responded "Not only are there a few ground troopers from god knows where, that he has to protect... He also isn't trying to cause property damage. So, Grima intends to impede his movement altogether." Takato looked back at the fight, and slowly realized that he was right. Jesmon appeared to be in a stagnant pace, that appears to be gradually pushing him further and further away from Grima. However, Jesmon appeared to be wearing down while Grima doesn't appear to be getting tired. "So then, Jesmon... Are you sure you wish to perpetuate this? Or will you finally concede defeat and join my ranks?" Grima asked Jesmon who responded "I care not what you do to me, but I would be insulted as a knight if I just let you subjugate an entire section of our beautiful world."

Grima upon hearing this, appeared to be pondering something... Until he started cackling. Simon felt increasingly angry at the condescending tone of Grima's voice, sensing something very strange about it. Strangely familiar that is. "You really think that your world is beautiful?! The only reason it's survived this long, was because the will of the true god of the Digital World willed it so! Not because of your willpower, or because of your gradual advancements! It's purely because it amused us, with how much each and every dream dies there. Though, it seems that your leader's joined dream seemed to have acquired our attention. We merely underestimated you, and I thought Yggdrasil could easily take care of it all... But, seeing that your abilities have proven to destroy his forces... I realized that we needed some sort of plan to all of it. He may not have known about the plan at first, but when he came to me... I had formulated a plan that would ensure my total victory... At least this time anyway." Jesmon, along with the others were very confused by what Grima meant. Although, that didn't matter at the moment.

"Now then, I'm afraid you'll have to die... Effective immediately." Grima said before launching tendrils to hold Jesmon, and launch a few more at Jesmon's chest plate. However, it seemed that Simon had jumped in with Falchion, and sliced the tendrils to bits. "And so, my nemesis arrives... Tell me something... How does it feel watching that-" Grima said before being interrupted by Simon punching him in the face. "Stop it..." Simon said before walking up to Grima again and kicking him in the abdomen. "Stop it..." Simon continued to say and pinned Grima down onto the ground and repeatedly punched him in the face. "Stop! Using! My! Voice!" Simon shouted as he repeatedly kept on punching him. "Do you really want to know why I sound like you?" Grima asked Simon before he prepared another punch while screaming " **QUIT SCREWING AROUND WITH ME!** " He then punched Grima with enough force, that his hood ended up disintegrating. Afterwards, Simon was shocked to see the sight that was in front of him... "Well, you wanted to know right?" Grima asked before Simon recoiled at seeing, his own face... On this horrific monster's body. Simon stood away from him, and he ended up getting up off the ground.

"Honestly, I wasn't expecting you to find out this way... Seeing as though the last time we did this, you relied on your sword... But then again, the boy wasn't around during that time. So, here I stand... With your body, voice and everything else attached to it. Every year I tormented that boy, was quite the ecstasy for me. Although it was that cursed mark on his eye, that prevented me from ending him and your pathetic wife. It was like I was weakening from what you draw strength from. But... The minute I killed Nia in front of that boy, that was what finally broke you. And it gave me total control over your body. And now that I have total control, I can do whatever I want with it. My powers did have difficulty overwhelming that horrific thing known as belief in others, and that radiant light of yours... But it was very satisfying once I did. And now, I'm even more powerful than I was when your ancestor was in town!" Grima then felt like cackling even further, just to drive the knife into Simon a little more.

"Shut up..." Simon said, with a large amount of venom in his voice. "Oh... Now let's see what you do now..." Grima said to himself before watching Simon approach him. "I've heard more than enough words out of that annoying mouth of yours... All the words you've spilled, are the gasoline... For your funeral pyre... So tell me Grima... Where should I light the gas, and cook you?" Simon said to Grima while giving a glare, that if looks could kill... Grima would likely be ashes...

 **つづく**


	38. The Alphamon vs The Omegamon

The following is a non-profit Fanfiction. Digimon is owned by Toei Animation, Bandai, Akiyoshi Hongo and licensed by Saban Brands. Please support the official release, by buying the DVDs...

Digimon Tamers Crimson: Knights of Grim Episode 34: The Alphamon and the Omegamon...

Omnimon and Alphamon had landed on an island nearby the city, and surprisingly there was no one occupying it. The two had been circling each other, as though wondering when the other will strike. Imperialdramon watched the two circling each other... Remembering the days when they would spar with one another, before Alphamon had an encounter with Yggdrasil. "This saddens me... Once again, two friends have to fight one another. Only this time, there is no holding back between the two. No formalities, and no restraint on the destruction." Imperialdramon said, to the confusion of both Daisuke and Ken... Who didn't really know the history between Omnimon and Alphamon. Though judging from their partner's reaction, he seems very unsettled by this turn of events. " **Mode Change...** " Alphamon said before snapping his fingers and summoning his blade again. This time however, he sprouted wings from his armor and prepared to engage his former ally. "Alphamon, **Ouryuken mode...** " Omnimon then summoned his blade and looked back at his old friend...

Before they launched themselves into the air and struck each other's blades. This resulted in a catastrophic shockwave, that created a small crater in the ground below them. Most of the Digimon had to hold up their arms, in order to withstand the shockwaves produced by the two. However, KingShoutmon, ZekeGreymon and Imperialdramon merely stood and watched despite the shockwaves. Alphamon was using his blade to hold down Omnimon's, and was about to hit him with a blast from his hand... Only for Omnimon to immediately counter with the Garuru cannon. The resulting explosion didn't really damage Omnimon... though Alphamon's left hand was left quite ravaged. Ophanimon looked at Imperialdramon and asked "Why is this necessary? Why do those two need to fight?" Imperialdramon sighed and responded "Ophanimon... I've been around since the ancient days. Before the cataclysm, and before humans and Digimon were separate beings... But, when I forged the Royal Knights, it was for the sake of peace in the world. I had already lost one friend, and I didn't want to lose anymore..."

Seraphimon then turned to KingShoutmon and then said "I'm guessing you're not stepping in out of respect for your friend... Correct?" KingShoutmon nodded and responded "It's his fight. Not ours... If we chose to get involved, it would disgrace both of them. They are two of the most powerful knights, and they deserve this from us." Mimi and Koushiro were both confused as to why there are times when the Digimon's personalities come out of the merged forms, rather than the humans in question. Though, they deduced that maybe it switches between the human and Digimon at times. Sora was worried that Taichi and Yamato weren't going to beat Alphamon. She felt that all she could do, was pray... Just like years ago. It isn't like when Omnimon took on Diablomon, this was quite different. Alphamon then struck the ground with his blade, only for it to somehow get stuck in a rock. Omnimon saw this and decided to use a new tactic. "It's time to say your goodbyes old friend..." Omnimon said before making an infinity symbol with his hands...

And then pulled his hands to his side while charging up a beam of energy. Alphamon looked at this display, and realized that if he continued to pull at his blade he'll die. Alphamon then conjured up some dark energy in his damaged left hand, while his right continued to work on pulling out the sword. " **OMEGA BLAST!** " Omnimon said before firing the beam, only to hit a dark field of energy that caused an explosion... That scarred the entire island. Imperialdramon saw this, and realized that Omnimon had in fact missed his mark. "Damn... I should've guessed that Yggdrasil would prepare for this..." Imperialdramon said to himself, to the other's confusion. "Alphamon at the last second used a field of dark energy in order to protect himself. Therefore, the Omega blast would only lightly damage him. The others were quite shocked, and Hououmon asked "But how did he get this energy?" HerculesKabuterimon then snapped his fingers and said "Of course! It was after that whole incident with Huanglongmon! Yggdrasil had deleted him, and probably used his data in order to increase Alphamon's strength!" Rosemon, KingShoutmon and ZekeGreymon all drew a similar conclusion. Kiriha meanwhile, was still watching intently at the battle...

* * *

Back with Simon and co...

Grima had launched tendrils at Simon, who batted them away with Falchion. Though, unlike Jesmon... Simon wasn't going to back away from being surrounded by Grima's attacks. "So, you intend on attacking me head on?" Grima asked Simon who answered "Allow me to get within a few centimeters of you... And then we'll see!" Simon kept on batting back the tendrils, until Takato decided to intervene and strike Grima from behind. It ended up causing a huge gash to appear on his back, which for some reason didn't bother him. "You fool... My power has far outstretched the small potential an unawakened blade has..." Grima said before using his tendrils to restrain Takato. "TAKATO!" Simon screamed before launching himself at Grima, only to be restrained by similar tendrils. "You fools... Do you really think I would give it my all here, on this battlefield? No, I intend on breaking my host first." Grima said before approaching Simon, while ignoring Takato... Who was struggling against the tendrils. "Now then, let's see the status of that part in you..." Grima said before raising his right hand over Simon's left gauntlet... And then pulling it off, to reveal what appeared to be a glowing seed inside his hand.

"Ah... It's been slowly growing. Though, that Spiral energy keeps on suppressing it... Your whole body will soon become my newest host." Grima said examining the forearm to see that, the spiral energy within Simon has been heavily suppressing it. "What... What is this you bastard?!" Simon shouted to Grima who responded "The minute you touched my skeleton in the Digital World, there lied a remnant of my power. Though my first host had defeated me in the past, a lingering portion of my power remained for two millennia... Waiting for the right time, and the right host body to take over. And now, you will soon become me... Admit defeat, and you won't have to suffer the loss of your friends..." Simon shocked at hearing this then struggled against the tendrils and said "I refuse! I'll never be like you!" Grima laughed at Simon and responded "You have no choice. Now, I have some control over your body. Should you ever try to remove the seed, I'll restrain your hand, or make you stop whoever you get to do it for you."

Unfortunately for Grima, he didn't see Beelzemon drop down, nor draw a star symbol with his arm cannon. "Chaos... Destroyer." Beelzemon said before firing a devastating beam at Grima, who ended up getting hit by the blast. Simon and Takato were then released from their restraints, and Simon looked up into Beelzemon's eyes before calling Guilmon down. "Must you always resist me? It's only a matter of time before the seed takes you." Grima said to Simon, who had merged with Guilmon to become Gallantmon Crimson Mode. Takato and his Guilmon watched the magnificence of that form, and he thought "That was dad at his most powerful?" Grima sees this, and the other Tamers approaching the scene. "I see that all of you decided to die today. Unfortunately, it's not time for your deaths just yet. That time will come soon... It will come, when you finally decide to meet me at my stronghold. There, it will be magnificent to watch as the Digital World and this one dies from a distance, while you all choke on your last breath." Gallantmon then takes a swing at Grima, who dodges him...

Only to receive a kick from a Yellow Gallantmon. "We finish this here! And we finish it now! I'm sick and tired of having to you burn this world to ash. So how about we have a go!" Takato said in his data sphere, while having Yellow Gallantmon point the parallel Falchion at Grima. "Looks like my boy could use some more discipline." Grima said before launching tendrils at Takato... Which were blocked by Gallantmon and Beelzemon. "That's our son! Not yours! So back the hell off!" Beelzemon said to Grima who then remembered the irony... Of a woman being the one behind him. Suddenly, missiles were fired from MegaGargomon, which were cut down by more tendrils. "In what cinematic universe has that worked in?" Grima asked MegaGargomon who then threw a punch at Grima. He unfortunately couldn't block it, and Sakuyamon fired a beam of energy to throw him even further... Before Cherubimon could fire five bolts of lightning, which pinned him to the ground. And then, it seemed like he exploded. "Who thinks he's actually dead?" Simon asked the others, to which they shook their heads. "That's what I thought." Simon then said after receiving confirmation that Grima's likely still alive.

"I see... You all appear to be smart enough to know that that wasn't enough. Only your so called "Leader" could hope to kill me. And to think, he's about to become me in matter of days!" Grima said to the others, before he floated up. Gallantmon pointed Falchion at Grima and said "You bastard! Just who the hell do you think I am?! You think that just because some seed inside my arm, means I'm automatically going to give up? Wrong! I will defeat you. And I will remove the seed from my arm. That you can bet on." Grima once again laughs at Simon's words. "Very well then, I'm sure Omnimon must know where Yggdrasil's tree is. And that's where our last battle shall take place. You may pray to your god if you like, but just so you know... I won't be listening." Simon was apalled that Grima would think himself a god, considering that he himself is mortal. He then opened a portal to head towards where Alphamon and Omnimon were, and waved goodbye. "Y'know I never thought I'd call myself preachy... But that guy is completely preachy in every sense of the word."

They then de-fused back to their normal selves, while Takato pondered something about Simon. "This doesn't make sense Guilmon, why would Dad willingly give himself over to Grima, knowing that that's exactly what he wants?" Takato asks his partner who wonders the answer and responds "I'm sure he has a plan Takato. You gotta have faith in him." Takato shakes his head and says "I know, but... How can I have faith in a man I barely know. He's gonna get himself and the others killed unless I do something about it!" Simon goes up to the group and says "Okay, we need to make sure there aren't any casualties, because let's face it... This mall got wrecked. So, let's look around and help some people, alright?" Everyone nodded before running around and finding some soldiers quite wounded, but at the very least okay. "Why are you helping us?" One of the soldiers asked Henry, who responded "It's because we're trying to prevent things like this from happening. And if we didn't save you, we'd be no better than the ones who put you in this situation." Terriermon then said "So Momentai! We've got this!" The soldiers were then carried out, and Simon did a head count of each of their units. "Okay good, so far it looks like everyone's present and accounted for." One of them then asks "Wait... Where's our boss?"

* * *

Back with Omnimon and co.

It seemed that Omnimon and Alphamon's battle went on for quite a while, though it seemed that some outside force decided to interrupt. "So then, the so called "Royal Knights" have returned have they?! How about you take a look at this, and tremble!" The outside force, being Rufus inside the mech that he and his workers built. It seemed to be about the three Royal Knight's size and height. But it didn't really have the qualities of a knight. "Now then, prepare yourselves for my most devastating attack!" Rufus said before having the mech charge his cannon. Alphamon sees this and decides to stand in front of the attack. "Do you know what metal some Digimon are made from?" Alphamon asked Rufus who answered "No. But I don't need to know... Not once you're dead anyway!" He then fired a large beam, that eclipsed Alphamon. Omnimon, nor Imperialdramon did anything to prevent this... Knowing what the outcome would be. Alphamon had stood in front of Rufus, with not a single dent on him.

"Impossible! I made all the calculations! This is all wrong!" Rufus said backing away from Alphamon who responded "You didn't think that I'd be weak enough for you to defeat. Even a mere Koromon could take that blast point blank, and it'd still only suffer very minor injuries. Compared to the Royal Knights... You are nothing but an insect. So goodbye, you worthless human." Alphamon then raised his hand and fired a green blast at the machine, completely disintegrating it and the person inside. "Alphamon! You didn't have to kill him! You could've merely broken the machine apart!" Omnimon said, trying to reason with Alphamon who responded "This mere human would've gone on to try again... And again. And yet, you would still defend humanity, when that was it's supposed champion?!" Omnimon sighed and responded "We don't kill humans, just because of what they'll become. We don't kill them, because we wish to educate them that, not all Digimon are evil. And now, I'm sure he will never learn." Alphamon sighed at Omnimon's new naivety. "Gallantmon really has changed you for the worst. He's made into this sympathetic Digimon, whom the humans believe to be the "good guys". You used to be much smarter than that. You used to have the belief, that the end justifies the means."

Omnimon felt angered by Alphamon's words and responded "You go too far old friend. Now then, let's continue this..." Alphamon was about to strike at Omnimon once again, until a portal opened in between the two. "No... There will be no continuation on this battle Alphamon. For you are needed back at the tree." Grima said to Alphamon, who then kneeled before Grima. Imperialdramon saw the fell dragon, and memories of the old days came back in. Although, Daisuke and Ken noticed that Grima beared an uncanny resemblance to Simon. "That's Simon! What's he doing here?!" Ophanimon asked the others, who couldn't even come up with a conclusion... Not really knowing Grima all that well. Imperialdramon seemed to have one... But he didn't want it to be true. "I see a familiar face is among you all. Yet another blast to the past... Eh, Imperialdramon?" Grima said to the leader of the knights, who responded "I've stopped you once before... And I'll do it again you monster!"

Grima felt amused by this and then said "Omnimon... I believe that you might know where the tree is right? Because that's where we'll meet... For the true final showdown." He then opened a portal to the tree, upon which, Omnimon charged his Garuru cannon and fired. Unfortunately, it closed by the time he fired it. "Damn it all! They got away!" Imperialdramon put a hand on Omnimon's shoulder to reassure him that it'll be okay. "What history do you have with that monster, that none of the other knights had working for him?" Omnimon asked, remembering Grima referring to Imperialdramon directly when it came to blasts from the past. "I was one of few Digimon that was around during the time that Naga spoke of. It was the time, when Humans and Digimon lived with one another. Though, he was around during that time as well." Imperialdramon decided that it'd be best if everyone was present to hear this.

* * *

They then met up at the park, discussing what they had found out about the battles... While Hikari and Suzie were tending to Hackmon's injuries, V-Mon had decided to tell everyone what he knew about the whole thing. He explained that Grima was a great threat to the world before, and that he along with many others, he stopped the threat.

After hearing that explanation, Daisuke and Ken were both shocked. To hear that their partners are both quite ancient, and they participated in something this big. "I'm shorry if I didn't tell you before Davish... But, after a while, partsh of it were really fuzzy. I wanted to get the clearer picture. Unfortunately, the man whom I used to be partnered up with is also just a blurr." V-Mon said to Daisuke, who then responded "Don't feel bad V-Mon. Once it all comes back, you can tell the whole story right?" V-Mon nodded and the two sat back down to listen to Simon's explanation. "Apparently, my future self... Is actually Grima." Everybody was quite shocked to hear that bit. "You mean that's why we saw you with Alphamon?" Hikari asked Simon who nodded and then showed everyone the seed in his left hand. "This is supposedly what's going to turn me into that bastard. And no, I can't rip it out, since he has only a slight bit of control over my body." Yamato then walked up to Simon and grabbed his shirt collar. "Oh yeah? Have you even tried yet?" Yamato asked before Simon slapped away the hand and said "I'm about to."

He then grabs one of his throwing knives, and tries to stab his hand... Only for the right hand to be stopped immediately. "Well I'll be damned... I got another alternative... Tie me up. Make sure my arms and legs are stretched out on those trees. That way, I won't be able to actually hurt any of you." Simon said before the others shook their heads at that. "Right, he'll probably realize that and force me to hurt you before you even get to me." Simon said, confirming the other's suspicions. "So you're just going to give up? Just let this thing take you?" Yamato asked Simon who answered "Hell... The fuck... No..." Nia had covered Takato's ears... Who rolled his eyes at the unnecessary censorship. "Ishida, ever since the day I merged with Guilmon against Daemon... I never once gave up. I'm not gonna start now, just because some dragon said I'll become him once this seed is done. I'm gonna go meet his challenge, and then put an end to his pitiful life. And then, there won't even be ashes left on his corpse."

The others seemed to be quite inspired by his words, and Henry said "Simon, I gotta ask... You gonna tell us that we've got a choice to go with you or not?" Simon shook his head and responded "Henry, you know saying that is pointless when I said those words at least twice. I already know that you guys are gonna tell me that, most of you would follow me to the pits of hell if I were to do so. And I meant most except Xros Heart, Tai, Matt, Sora, Izzy and Mimi." Taiki was about to object, only for Shoutmon to put his hand down and shake his head. "Dad... You shouldn't go. I'll take the team, and then we'll take down Grima. While you and Guilmon stay here and hold down the fort." Takato said, trying to dissuade Simon from going. "Takato, you can't be serious. You've told us about part of this, and now that we know the full story, I gotta go and fight the good fight. You'll be going with me in case I need you for something." Simon responded to Takato who then said "NO! I won't kill you! I want to stop you... But I don't want to have to end you because of it. Dammit! Now I went from killing my dad to stop him, only to want him to live and stay home."

The yellow Guilmon was with Renamon and Simon's Guilmon, watching this tension. "Dad, you're nothing but an idiot! Who happened to get lucky that there are people you can persuade to fight with you! And yet, even when they're aware of it... They won't follow the rational one here." Takato said to Simon who seemed offended at first, but then he responded "You know, you're not exactly wrong. And I understand that you don't want your idiot father to martyr himself... But, it's like my dad would say... Leave the hard stuff to the idiot grown ups. Not the smart children who know better." Takato then sighed before saying "Okay fine... I'll go with you... But I won't kill you. You have to promise me, that you'll get out of this alive... Got it?!" Simon looked at Takato's pinkey and responded "Alright, it's a promise. Hey guys, what do you think our chances of survival are?" Izzy, Ken and Henry all did the calculations in their head, and Henry was the first to respond "If I was to guess, it'd probably be the usual 0.1% in most tv shows." Simon then said "Alright, looks like a one hundred percent guarantee to me. Let's all get prepared and meet up here first thing after school!" They all then raised their fists to the sky, as though signifying the promise they made.

* * *

Later, in Kittan's apartment...

"So let me get this straight... Because some dragon is threatening to posess your body, you want me in on this supposed last battle of ours? A battle that could very well determine our future, right?" Kittan asked Simon who, after explaining in crucial detail nodded in response. "Y'know boy... This is probably one of the best gifts you could've given me... Besides most of the birthday gifts, and the Father's day gifts. Hey guys! Let's pack our things! We're going on a road trip!" Kittan yelled to the others who were in the room as well. Though, in their case... It felt like one of his usual things. "Typical Kittan. Willing to charge in when he feels needed. I guess that means we're gonna be out of retirement for now." Leyte said to Dayaka who responded "Hey now, we're doing this for the kids. They've helped us plenty by making us feel needed." Leyte sighed at Dayaka's point. Leeron then asked Simon "Could you take me to this Digital World, if that's where we're going first?" Simon nodded and responded "Alright, but you'll need Guilmon to help you with that." Guilmon then guided Leeron to the nearest computer and they went straight through it.

"Simon, I know you told us this a year ago... But where is he going?" Kittan asked Simon who responded "Well... He's gonna be going through the hub area, and then into the Digital World... Where he's gonna check up on the project Impmon had everybody working on for the past two years." Takato and the others look at Simon, and Leyte asks "Okay, and the stupid question here is... What exactly did you have Impmon tell them to build?" Simon then answered "A rocket ship. And not just any rocket ship... One that has the functionality of a space battleship." All but Kittan were immediately shocked to hear that confirmation, and Kittan then said "Simon... Do you have any idea how proud I am to see that you're getting to be hot blooded?" Simon smirked and responded "Now I know how good it does feel in fact. Whatever happens, we'll make it out. I promise..." Simon and Kittan then grabbed each other's hands and it felt like yet another promise was made that day. Though between father and son, rather than friends.

In the Digital World, Leeron looked at the rocket and said "Just give me a few and then, you'll see what I can improve." One of the construction Digimon then asked "A few what?" Guilmon shook his head and responded "It's best not to ask." He then began work on improving the somewhat ludicrous rocket ship...

 **つづく**


	39. Launch Sequence

The following is a non-profit Fanfiction. Digimon is owned by Toei Animation, Bandai, Akiyoshi Hongo and licensed by Saban Brands. Please support the official release, by buying the DVDs...

Digimon Tamers Crimson: Knights of Grim Episode 35: Launch sequence...

Simon and co. seemed to be quite busy at their schools. At times during the day, some of them looked out the window, waiting for when their final battle will come around. Simon would occasionally glance at his left hand, wondering how much longer before the seed fully grows into the supposed tree that Grima prophesized. Nia kept on looking at a picture of Baby Takato, as though she was concerned with what they were going to do with him, as soon as they headed out. Henry wondered if he was prepared for the upcoming fight, but he didn't know how he'd do if the inevitable came. Rika had wanted to make a long phone call to her mom, entailing what they'd have to do now. And the fact that, she may never come back. Which of course Rumiko started crying, until she made Rika promise to come back no matter what. This made her feel on ease with herself, and removed a large weight on her shoulders.

Suzie, seemed to have an easier time explaining to Janyu about the situation, since Henry was there with her as back up. But then again, they did explain that there was going to be a lot of back up going with them. Daisuke seemed to be utterly silent with Jun, as though she already knew that he was going to be risking his life... Again... For the upteenth time. Ken's parents were of course extremely worried about him, and they practically kept him from going to school, only until he finally told them what was at stake did they understand that, maybe he really was needed. Takeru and Yamato had gotten their parents together for a meeting, and at first Hiroaki was completely apalled by the thought that both sons could possibly die, when they spent so much time trying to get them to meet up with one another. It took a lot of convincing for Natsuko and Hiroaki to let them go off on their own, and at the very least... They could finish this horrid battle as siblings. Taichi and Hikari had a rough time explaining it to Yuko and Susumu. At first he was very much against it, like most of the parents... But Yuko felt that she understood how, at this point what is really going to stop them from sneaking out and just doing it themselves?

Taiki and Kiriha seemed to have an easier time explaining to their parents, though Kiriha's father had a strong faith in his return and Taiki's parents were quite sad, to hear that he'd have to go away again. Koushiro probably had the most difficult time out of the entire group of Tamers... Despite them being his adopted parents, they were very much against the idea of him going to this battle. This ended up with Koushiro getting the idea to just tell them, if they weren't going to let him go... He'd just go on his own. After many apologies to his parents, they begrudgingly let him go on this life or death mission. Sora, like Rika seemed to have a really hard time trying to break it to her mother... Albeit without breaking her. After school, Simon had to make sure each of the people who were going with them, were prepared. "So let me get this straight, you plan on taking your team into another dimension... And killing what is essentially a god-like computer program and a dragon that happens to look exactly like you?" Mr. Asagi asked Simon after he explained the whole situation to him.

Gai was also there, since they needed the Legendary warrior of darkness as well. "Simon, you should've told me about any of these fights sooner. I've been itching for some kind of action since the Parasimon incident." Gai said to Simon, who was elbowed by Mr. Asagi, who responded "The point is, we're in. I just hope that you know exactly what the hell you're doing." Simon then said "Guys, I know that we may not have had many battles together, but I'm hoping that we'll all be able to end this conflict." It was then that, everyone seemed to have a lock and load montage, just in preparation for what's to come. Simon had equipped the Falchion and all his other Shadow Tamer equipment... Despite Guilmon saying that, he only needs the sword. Simon had then responded "Well it's better than going in bare boned, am I right?" Guilmon had then kind of accepted Simon's notion, and equipped his armor on him. Simon then thought about the little Baby Takato, and knew who exactly to bring him to. He had ran over to the Matsuki bakery and knocked on their door.

"Oh, Simon... Come on in." Takehiro said to Simon who then sat down with the two and gave a run down about what's happening. "So let me get this straight... You're telling us that, you're going to go into another dimension with all of your teammates, and you want us to babysit for you?" Mei asked Simon who nodded and responded "Guys, I know that this is asking a heck of a lot... But I really do need your help on this. And you did say if there was anything I needed from you guys, I should come to you." Takehiro then pondered what he said and then he whispered to Mei "You know, he isn't kidding." Mei then said "Alright Simon, we'll watch the baby on one condition." Simon then responded "Let me guess: You want me to come back alive?" Mei nodded and said "And you better! Cause I don't want to have to tell this baby that you and Nia died! It'd be like... Like... What happened before..." Simon saw the sadness in Mei's eyes and said "Don't worry, I'll come back. And when I do, we'll make some Guilmon bread to celebrate our victory!" After they accepted baby Takato into their arms, they waved goodbye to him and Guilmon.

"So... That's why I ended up there." Takato said to Simon who responded "They're like a second family to me. I couldn't just leave you home. And besides, they're the reason why I named you Takato." Takato felt a bit strange and then asked "But why did they let you use that name?" Simon sighed and responded "Because, they gave me their blessing. And I guarantee that, if he were born into this world... He would have been probably a greater part of their family than I ever could. But, unfortunately... Life didn't really like being fair to them. The days when I worked there, purely out of the goodness of my heart, I felt like Mei became like a mother to me. Though Kittan was still my father figure, Takehiro seemed to have grown into a father figure. So it really is like they're my second family. I just wish that, I didn't have to pawn off responsibility to someone else. Especially when it came to you." Takato felt a bit bad, and said "Dad... Once this is over... I'd like to try that Guilmon bread you and the Matsukis talked about." Simon smiled and responded "Oh trust me... You'll love it!"Takato looked down at himself, and remembered something important. "I hope so dad... I hope so..." Takato thought to himself sadly, before running towards Simon.

* * *

Nia meanwhile had decided to prepare herself as well, while Erwin had put on the gloves he would wear for his time in the spotlight. "Nia! Don't think you'll be going with just Impmon this time! Cause I'll be joining you!" Erwin said, all prepped up for the fight. "But dad, you're supposed to be in charge of the police! How are you even coming with us?!" Nia asked Erwin who responded "Well, I made a call to Mike and he was ordered to keep watch over the station. So for now and until we're done... We should be good. And besides, if Kittan is going along with my other friends... Why shouldn't I?" Nia tried to come up with a reason, only for Impmon to say "Hey c'mon! We've got the Legendary Warrior of Electricity on our side! There shouldn't be a reason to complain!" Nia then responded "I know. But still, I don't want you getting hurt." Erwin sighed and said "Nia. When I took up being a police man, I knew that there would be a lot of things that could kill me. But you know that one thing I wasn't prepared for... Was any harm that would come to my own family should I be careless. I got careless once, with your mother... And I don't intend on repeating mistakes. I know you're probably as strong or even stronger than me at this point... But, how about I be there to make sure both of us makes it back?"

Nia nodded towards her father before walking out with him and Impmon. They locked the door to their house and headed towards Shinjuku park. Simon and Guilmon meanwhile, was already there with Kittan, Leyte and Dayaka. They had brought out their equipment, to make sure that everyone was prepared. Simon then said "Guys, did we really need to bring that many weapons out here?" Kittan looked at Simon and responded "Boy... If you ever went on a mission with us... I'd say you would get a lot of weird looks coming your way. I know I told you the stories, but you have to remember... In war, you can never be too careful."

Simon decided to go look in the park entrance to see if anybody was there. He then saw the large group of Tamers and the other three legendary warriors... Walking in slow motion. As though some epic theme was playing in the background. "Could you get a move on already! You're gonna block traffic!" Simon yelled to them, before Terriermon responded "MOMENTAI!" They all then made it to the park, where they were all discussing the game plan. "Okay, so once we see the completed project that Impmon had the construction workers make... We'll be ready to take on Grima and Yggdrasil. So, if you had any regrets before coming here... Now might be a good time to make sure to get these things sorted out." Koushiro raised a hand and asked "Okay, I know that I'm still relatively new along with Matt, Sora and Mimi... But what is this project Impmon had construction Digimon working on?" Simon sighed and answered "Only one way to find out now is there?" Takeru then had slashed a blue card and evolved Patamon into MagnaAngemon, who then created a portal to the Digital World.

Everybody had grabbed their equipment and entered the portal without a second thought. They had actually headed straight for the hub zone of the Digital World. Once they looked up, they saw the completed rocket ship. While Yamato, Sora and Mimi's jaws dropped to the floor. "Wait, who is that up there?" Koushiro asked Simon, before the person in question saw them and said "Hey y'all! How's it hanging!?" While hanging on some rope that was holding him up. Leyte sighed and responded "Leeron! Why didn't you say that you were building a rocket ship!?" Leeron sighed before lowering himself to the ground. Leeron smirked and answered "Because, I wanted to surprise you silly! You really need to learn how to lighten up Leyte." Dayaka restrained Leyte from beating him up and said "Just relax Leyte. Be glad that he put the finishing touches to this beauty." Leyte sighed in defeat and responded "Just take us to the damn ship already." Leeron then cued them all to follow him.

* * *

The inside of the rocket ship, appeared to be quite larger compared to the outside. When they entered the control room, Leyte immediately took one of the seats and said "Now this is what I'm talking about! Straight up NASA shit going on here!" Leeron seemed pleased about Leyte's enthusiasm. "And there's quite a lot to see in this ship. Once we get the signal from our fearless leaders... We'll fly up and take down Grima!" Leeron said to the others before approaching the pilot's seat. Takato meanwhile, appeared to be very enthused by the mere sight of everything on the ship. "Guilmon, have I ever told you how amazing this Digital World has become?" Takato asked his Guilmon who shook his head and responded "You've been quite focused on taking down Simon, that you didn't really say anything about the Digital World." Takato sighs and says "The point is... I never guessed that they were building a rocket ship of all things, just to take on Grima and Yggdrasil. It just feels so amazing to be surrounded by all this technology! ...I only wish that the future we lived was this into technology, rather than fighting dad possessed by Grima."

His Guilmon nudged him slightly and the two spent some time together, while being watched by Renamon and Guilmon. "And to think, our baby... Becomes just like you... Only yellow." Renamon says to Guilmon who responds "Hey! At least I look good! Otherwise, you wouldn't have tried to say anything to me!" Renamon sighs at Guilmon's simplicity. "There are times when you're a poet... And there are times, when you're still as simple minded as your Tamer. He may be skilled and somewhat intelligent... But that doesn't make him a non-idiot." Guilmon hears Renamon's statement and says "He carried us this far hasn't he? I'm sure we'll save the world and whatnot... Just in time to make sure baby Gyarimon is okay!" Renamon smiles and hugs Guilmon. "Well, if you two lovebirds want to continue hugging... We're headed back up to the control room." Takato says to the duo before going up. Guilmon seemed to notice that Takato was feeling a bit somber today. He just wasn't sure why...

* * *

Koushiro looked around the ship, and upon activating his ability regarding Digicode... He was blown away by how much information is on the ship. "Tentomon... I have to ask, why is our world filled with DigiCode? I mean, I'd understand if it were looking at a computer, but all throughout the walls, roads and several parts of the sky? Seriously! It really is like our world has some remnants of that time as well!" Koushiro asked Tentomon who answered "Sometimes, I wish I did know. But, I was born long after that era. V-Mon and Wormmon might be able to answer those questions." Koushiro sighed understanding that his partner didn't have the answer. Mimi walked nearby the area and said "Izzy! There you are! I was worried that you'd be drooling over a rocket ship, and I guess not only you've been drooling over the rocket ship, but also the Digi-Code in the ship. So tell me this: Has that gotten out of control yet?" Koushiro pondered the question and answered "No, actually. I've been able to keep this under maintenance. Although, I have to be on a consistent schedule. Otherwise, I might end up in that comatose state due to the information overload. Any more questions?" Mimi pondered a response, but shook her head and said "No thanks. But Izzy... Do you think that, maybe after this is all over... You wanna have a sleepover?"

Koushiro blushed at Mimi's question and asked "Um... Is it at your house, or mine? Cause I don't know if I should." Mimi giggled at his question and answered "You silly! Of course it'd be at your place! My parents are like, super busy! But your parents are always there! And we could do all sorts of fun things while we're there. Heck, you could even take me shopping beforehand just to pick out a new outfit." Mimi then realized she was talking too much... Only to see that Koushiro was actually jotting down notes. "Well Mimi, it's a date then." Koushiro said, with a surprising amount of boldness in his voice. "That's my nerd for ya! Now I know for sure that we have to win this! Cause otherwise... Who would I be with..." Mimi said with excitement at first, before thinking of how gloomy things are. Koushiro then kissed her with quite a large amount of passion. "Mimi, I know for a fact that we'll make it..." Koushiro said, before the two continued their embrace.

* * *

Meanwhile, Taichi was looking out one of the many windows of the place... Thinking about how things are with his parents. Taiki and Kiriha had also followed him out here. "Tai... What's with the sight seeing? This is the Digital sky! Something you've seen every day for six years of your life!" Agumon asked, wondering why Taichi is just staring out into space, while Taiki and Kiriha appear to be doing the same thing. "It's nothing Agumon... We're just reminiscing that's all." Taichi answered Agumon, but then Shoutmon added "Sometimes, I wonder if being the king is more important than friendship. I mean, we've come so far... And, it just feels like after all this is over... We'll probably have no reason to be around Taiki or anybody for that matter." Taiki picked up Shoutmon and responded "Shoutmon, you know that's not true. Even if there is no threat to fight... We'll always be close friends. So don't worry about choosing between ruling the Digital World and being with us." Greymon then perked up from Kiriha's Xros Loader.

"I guess this will truly decide whether or not I'll be able to fulfill your mother's promise. I know that at this point in time, you still miss our old companion Deckerdramon... But we have been able to move past it, and keep going like he wanted us to." Greymon said to his general. Kiriha looked down at his Xros Loader and responded "We've been over this Greymon. I will move past this, and I will keep moving forward now. With you and MailBirdramon at my side, we'll accomplish anything." Kiriha smiled at that prospect, which filled him with determination. "Y'know guys... This is not only our final battle as part of Simon's crew... But this is also our last battle as Xros Heart." Taichi said, regarding the current stage of events. Taiki and Kiriha felt a bit sad on that regard, until Agumon said "But... That doesn't mean we won't all be friends once this is over. There will always be a time to hang out, and maybe see if Simon will actually have the balls to propose to Nia. Which, by the way... Is quite blatantly obvious by his disappointment in these interruptions." Taiki had raised an eyebrow at that statement and Shoutmon asked "Wait. You mean he wants to...?" Agumon nodded, which prompted Shoutmon to say "Wow... I didn't think that he'd take it that seriously..."

Sora had approached the scene and said "Well he is probably the most serious out of everyone. A humorless high school student, who seems to think he's grown up... When in reality he's still just a kid. And yes, I have seen enough of those kinds of shows to know what I'm talking about." Taichi then looked over at his girlfriend and asked "Sora... Were you just wandering long enough to find me?" Sora nodded and answered "Well, would you believe me if I said no?" Taichi then gave a skeptical look, and the others of Xros Heart decided it's best to leave these two alone. "Well Sora, I guess it's just you and me. So... What'd you want to talk about?" Taichi asked Sora who looked onto the horizon and said "Well... I'd love to look at the Digital sky with you. I may have been here before, but I've never really looked up and noticed how pretty it looks. I know I sound awfully girly to you, but hey... I haven't had much time to be the tomboy you always knew me as." Taichi then looked up at the ceiling and thought of the days, when he mistook Sora for a guy... Until he found out one day that, she was in fact a girl.

"Those were some weird times... I just wish that we could've gotten some of that time back. I mean... Besides two out of six years of course..." Taichi said to Sora who looked at him and sighed. "Taichi Kamiya... Don't ever change." Sora said gripping his hand. Taichi then responded "Of course. I just don't want you to change either... Sounds fair?" Sora nodded and the two hugged it out. Biyomon had watched from a distance, and Agumon seemed to be crying. "My Tamer... He's growing up too fast!" Agumon said while continuing to cry. Biyomon held him in her arms and patted him on the back. "There, there Agumon... I'm sure he'll still have a need for you." Biyomon said to Agumon who responded "Please tell me it isn't a chore man!" Biyomon wasn't too sure how to respond to that, considering she wasn't sure what Agumon was going to after this whole war. Suddenly, the intercom had made a loud noise, and Simon's voice came out of it saying "We're about to launch, so please make your way to the main deck, ASAP!" Everybody who heard that, then headed towards the main deck as requested...

* * *

Simon looked around at the people who came this far with him. "Well everybody... This is it. The final stretch. I hope we're all prepared for this. And by that I mean myself as well. I guess what I'm trying to say is this... Y'all ready for this?" Simon said to the others, who then nodded in response, and Kittan went up to Simon before saying "I think they're more than ready." Simon then gave a sarcastic look towards his father, and then pulled out Falchion before saying "Alright, let's launch this bad boy and kick some draconic ass!" Leeron then activated the launch sequence and the ship flew into the Digital sky before opening a portal that seemed to head into an area between dimensions. There, the Rocket transformed into it's space ship form, before entering the other side...

 **What awaits our group on the other side of the portal? How does Grima intend to drag Simon over to his side? And will they all make it through this ordeal? Find out next time, on Digimon Tamers Crimson: Knights of Grim!**


	40. Legacies

The following is a non-profit Fanfiction. Digimon is owned by Toei Animation, Bandai, Akiyoshi Hongo and licensed by Saban Brands. Please support the official release, by buying the DVDs...

Digimon Tamers Crimson: Knights of Grim Episode 36: Legacies...

In the Hypnos building, Yamaki and Janyu were monitering the Digital World's activities. "So then, you think they have a chance?" Yamaki asks Janyu who responds "Well, I know I should have faith in my children... But I would rather actually be there with them, instead of just sitting here doing nothing." Yamaki opens and closes his lighter a few times and says "The strangest thing is that, it feels like all of them were ready for this a long time ago. Like they had this image in their minds the whole time. And now, they're headed off to god knows where this time around." Janyu then stands up and responds "But what if that spaceship Henry talked about doesn't end up getting them there?! What then?" Yamaki sighs and answers "Not really sure to be blunt... But if I were a betting man, I'd say they had someone to insure that they'll get to Yggdrasil's dimension." Janyu at first ponders about who could possibly have the technical know-how to make the spaceship more functional... Until he remembered one of Kittan's friends.

"Oh jeez, I think I know who you're talking about." Janyu said to Yamaki who responds "Well, if this person is who I'm thinking of... Then I believe they're in capable hands." Janyu and Yamaki then looked at the data, and saw that the ship had already left the area. "Now there's only one way to find out, and sadly there is no communication line between dimensions. All we can do now is have faith that they'll succeed... And invite the parents over for a nice evening." Yamaki said to Janyu who was even more confused than before. "Look, they're gonna be fretting about their children, so... Why don't we just gather together like we did a couple years ago?" Yamaki asked Janyu who responded "I really don't know about that. Especially considering that we have no way of communication with them... And unlike the Digital World, they might be back much sooner than before." Yamaki then realizes that Janyu is right, and says "Let's scratch that and just wait for them." Janyu nodded and prayed for his son's return. Although to them, it might be paranoia building up... But it seemed that both sides were worried about each other, with the exceptions of Simon and Nia... Whom were accompanied by their parents this time around...

* * *

Inside Yggdrasil's dimension...

The Tamers looked in awe through the windshield on the deck... And saw that, there seemed to be quite a large empty space with practically nothing to fill it. "So, what is this place Simon?" Kittan asked his son who answered "To be completely honest with you dad... I haven't the faintest idea where we even are. And yet, these are the coordinates that Gabumon gave us." Simon looked over at Yamato with Gabumon who said "Well yes, of course this is the place... It's just that... The tree isn't visible right now." Koushiro then pondered why that would be... "You're correct my old servant! However, you must be patient before I decide to end you." A voice sounded nearby everyone, and out came a shadowy figure in the center of the room. It seemed to reek of darkness, but not on the same magnitude as Grima. "So then, Simon Ackerman... We finally meet, face to face." Simon looked at the figure and responded "Indeed. Yggdrasil... But I do notice a lack of sabotaging us within your space..." Yggdrasil looked back at Simon before slipping his hand through Simon's head.

"That is because I am not even a drone. I'm but a mere projection of the source itself. You see, at first I had noticed this strange portion of programming dumped into me, that said I could be so much more than just the Digital World's guardian program... I could be my own unique being. One that would possibly transcend all life. That being a God. I could soar up into the heavens, and see that my own potential could become so much more. But, once I staked my claim in the Digital World... I soon wondered: What if there were an actual threat to my plan? Which is why I built this pocket dimension... To store my true power. The power of which I have gained over many years of subjugation. But then again, I had initially thought my threat would be The Royal Knights, whom would try to stop me at every turn... Especially with that new recruit of theirs! No, the threat would be presented to me in the form of the same humans whom created me. So, I sought to kill each member of the monster makers by manipulating the killer instinct within all humans. But once again, I failed to take into account the possibility of one of them... Having a spawn... And that spawn... Happening to possess the power of the Digital Hazard."

Simon hearing Yggdrasil's words then realized something. "So let me get this straight... You tried to have all the monster makers murdered... Including Henry's dad and my mother. Am I correct?" Simon asked the hologram who responded "So I guess that makes two mistakes I didn't correct. And plus, that monster maker was under government protection. So even if I did find someone to kill him... They wouldn't be able to. And now, I must bid you all farewell... As I finally reveal to you all, my tree..." Yggdrasil's projection then faded away, and everyone looked in awe at the gigantic tree in front of them. The roots were deeply imbedded into what appeared to be, a large amount of dark energy. Suddenly, there seemed to be a large amount of enemy Digimon, and drones from Yggdrasil's tree. Simon looked on and said "Everyone... Suit up... It's time to go to battle." Simon and Guilmon were the first to head through the door that led towards the door to the outside. He had then merged with Guilmon, and headed straight into Crimson Mode. Kittan had decided to pull out the two light swords he kept on him, and as he was heading out the door...

He triggered the evolution within the blades. He used a hyper spirit evolution to become what appeared to be... An armored bipedal wolf, equipped with missile launchers and other various weapons inside the armor itself. This warrior's name, was MagnaGarurumon. "I don't want my boy to have all the fun." MagnaGarurumon said before launching himself out to meet up with Simon. Erwin went up next, and used his metal knuckles to become... A cross between a Rhinoceros Beetle and a Stag beetle. Though the stag portion was on the bottom of the creature. It seemed to have two blades for arms and three sets of wings. He also seemed to have six legs on the bottom half. This, was AncientBeatmon. "Don't want to be late for the semi-reunion of the Legendary Warriors." AncientBeatmon said before meeting up with Gallantmon and MagnaGarurumon. Next was Mr. Asagi, whom used his gloves that briefly surrounded him with fire until it revealed... A large Greymon with Samurai armor, and what appeared to be a sword as large as VictoryGreymon's sword. He was known as, KaiserGreymon... "Well guys, I guess it's time to light things up." KaiserGreymon said before joining everyone...

Henry had gone with Gai and asked "So... You were one of the Legendary Warriors?" Gai then answered "Well, mostly because I wanted a good fight back then. Let's just say I wasn't the strategist on Kittan's team. I was more of the Let's kick some ass! Type of guy." Terriermon felt that he could connect with Gai, upon hearing that. "Sadly though, that invited a demon. The demon that Simon said he destroyed. Duskmon... And it's alternate form, Velgemon. I'm genuinely surprised that he was able to destroy Duskmon himself..." Gai told Henry before they got up to the area. "Alright, Henry... I'm about to show you the true power of Darkness. But, I'm sure you'll tell me to stand back when you go Mega." Gai said to Henry who nodded before activating his circuits. "Ready!" Henry said before he inserted the core drill into his Digivice and merged with Terriermon. Though the process was completed outside the ship. While Gai had transformed into what appeared to be... A black armored lion centaur. He seemed to have metal wings on his back, but they weren't really for flying, despite their appearance. But instead of a sword he carried a Spear. Obviously meant for when he jumps in the air to most people. This, was AncientSphinxmon.

He stood on one of MegaGargomon's missile silos and prepared to engage the enemy. Everyone else came out as their mega forms, but it seemed that Taichi and Yamato were saving Omnimon for when they're inside the tree and fighting Yggdrasil. "Gotta say Simon... You have gathered a literal army out here." Kittan said to Simon who looked behind him and saw that ZekeGreymon had joined the fight, despite Kiriha not being able to merge with him. "Don't worry Simon, I'm still in the ship... Just focus on the battle outside. I've had CyberDramon supply some back up for you." Kiriha said to Simon, reassuring him that he was still unable to merge without Taiki or Taichi's assistance. Once everyone was assembled, Yggdrasi's forces charged at them. "Doesn't look like they're stopping any time soon." Taiki said to Simon who responded "Well... Neither are we." They then engaged in a battle that seemed to be quite even... Considering they have a few Mega Level Digimon on their team, instead of just Champions and Ultimate levels.

They then all charged at one another, unleashing their arsenals at the enemy... While making sure to save their strength for the true opponents in this final battle. Yggdrasil was watching the battle, and Grima seemed to be setting something up for Alphamon. "Master... Why aren't you assimilating my data? You could simply do this, and end things now. So why don't you?" Alphamon asked Grima who responded "I merely wished to make sure that I will acquire your data no matter who kills you. So, you may have your final battle with Omnimon, or whomever you wish to duel before you perish." Alphamon was very confused as to why Grima is suddenly showing some sense of kindness. "It's a shame that when my bond with this body starts weakening... He starts making me show compassion. Although, it could be a positive since it might be more cruel to leave my subjects in pain, which will be a slow and agonizing death." Grima said to Alphamon, trying to explain the whole thing.

"I see, so you believe the boy's compassion to be his weakness. But then again, seeing your face tells me that you very well know it for a fact." Alphamon deduced the answer based on his master's knowledge. Alphamon then activated his wings for his Ouryuken mode. "Very well... I shall be off to fend off the Tamers and Legendary Warriors. If I am lucky, I shall take one of their lives." Alphamon said to Grima who then sat down, and watched as Alphamon flew out of the tree. "If he had been against us... He would have made a steadfast, and loyal ally. Sadly though, we've given him too much darkness for him to decide to go against us now. At this point, he'll never be able to return to this world again. For I shall be the one to take his data, and do as I please with it. The other Tamers and Legendary Warriors will go down like mongrels. If they think they can defeat me like they were sleepwalking... Then they have yet to face a true god." Grima said to himself before he stood up and sent a telepathic message to Yggdrasil, who then hid himself within his tree.

* * *

Gallantmon seemed to be back to back with MagnaGarurumon, who said "These guys ever stop?!" Simon then responded "Don't worry! They'll stop eventually! Just be on your guard!" They then continued to mow down the enemies that stood between them and the tree. As Gallantmon and MagnaGarurumon were about to make one final charge at the tree, a green laser hit MagnaGarurumon's armor and sent him spiraling to the ship. Luckily it suffered no damage, but MagnaGarurumon's armor was greatly damaged. "Kittan!" Simon shouted before he looked and saw that Alphamon was still alive. VictoryGreymon and ZeedGarurumon looked at him, and decided that maybe now is the time to combine into Omnimon. However, just as they became Omnimon Arbitrator mode, MagnaGarurumon suddenly vanished from the ship... And surprise attacked Alphamon. "You're gonna pay for that back attack buddy!" MagnaGarurumon said, revealing himself to be without armor, and carrying two long swords with laser blades on either side. "Dad, don't scare me like that! This is Alphamon! One of the thirteen Royal Knights!" Gallantmon said to MagnaGarurumon who then got a better look at his opponent.

Takato inside his data sphere, saw MagnaGarurumon and said "So, that's grandpa's true power..." The yellow Gallantmon then responded "It truly is amazing..." KaiserGreymon and the other warriors were about to charge in, only to be held back by a few of Yggdrasil's minions. "Get out of the way!" KaiserGreymon shouted before lighting his sword on fire and taking out large waves of minions. However, branches seemed to jut out and prevent everyone from jumping in. "Dammit! Simon's in there! We gotta help him!" Beelzemon said, shooting at the tree barrier in front of them. Sakuyamon, Cherubimon, Seraphimon and Ophanimon tried some combination power... Only for the branches to counter that as well. "I see... So Yggdrasil is giving Alphamon a fighting chance." Omnimon said to Imperialdramon who responded "How could this happen?!" Omnimon then answered "It's a concentrated barrier that Yggdrasil creates, purely for combat purposes. And it seems that Simon and Kittan are already caught in it's thralls..."

MagnaGarurumon met up with Gallantmon, prepared for striking down this Digimon. "So, how tough is he?" Kittan asks Simon who responds "He's one of the three strongest Royal Knights... Besides Gallantmon and Omnimon. So essentially, I could take him myself... But that would take too long. And we need to save our energy for the real threat." Alphamon looks at the two and says "This will be our last battle. But more specifically mine, since even if I don't win here... Grima will assimilate me. And I will be no more." Gallantmon was shocked to hear that possibility, and then MagnaGarurumon suggested "Perhaps we should subdue him, and reduce him to a lower level..." The two then nodded and prepared their blades for combat, while Alphamon summoned his blade. "I didn't know that the Legendary Warriors would be attending this battle. I am quite honored to be fighting one part of Susano'omon. Now, let's begin." Gallantmon decided to charge in, to assess the opponent... And found that his skill was quite a bit more than what it was, when he first fought Gallantmon years ago... MagnaGarurumon then charged in with both blades, but then saw that... He in fact summoned a second blade to his side, and blocked his strike effortlessly.

"You underestimate me Gallantmon! I have gained much more power than before, and now I stand before the two of you... As equals!" They then screamed at the knight while repeatedly slashing at both blades, seemingly getting nowhere. Alphamon seemed to notice a few of their attacks connecting to his body, but none of them lasting. They backed off for a bit to reformulate their strategy. "I guess whatever Grima did to him this time, decided to make him a dual Zweihander." Gallantmon said before combining Blutgang and Falchion together, hoping to sunder the blade in one go. "Wait. I have an idea..." MagnaGarurumon said before giving hand signals to Gallantmon, who instantly understood what they meant. "How about you fight me now?!" MagnaGarurumon said before charging at Alphamon with both blades, only to be blocked by merely one. "It's a shame that your fighting prowess isn't as fine tuned as it was back in the old days... Now say goodbye... Warrior of light." Alphamon said before pointing his second blade at MagnaGarurumon's torso. But before he could strike, he felt a sword slice at his back...

Outside, Imperialdramon had decided to charge up some power within. "What are you doing, milord?" Omnimon asked Imperialdramon who then answered "I wish to destroy that barrier, so that we can assist our friends!" He made an X symbol with his gauntlets and summoned forth the X-Antibody. "I had acquired this power from a friend of mine. However, the modifications for this Antibody have allowed me to stay in this indefinitely." Imperialdramon explained to Omnimon, who was very much confused by this point. "Omnimon... What's this X-Antibody Imperialdramon was talking about?" Yamato asked within the shared data sphere. "The X-Antibody is a countermeasure for the X-Virus that Yggdrasil had threaten to plague the Digital World with. However, for us Royal Knights it wears down quite fast. Though it seems for Imperialdramon's case, like he said... Someone actually modified and perfected it." Omnimon answered Yamato, before watching him approach the sealed arena.

"Stand back everyone." Imperialdramon said to everyone, but more specifically to Ophanimon, who watched him and asked "What are you doing?" Though he gave no response as she did as she was told. He raised his blade up, and while putting in some power he was about to bring it down when suddenly... There was an explosion on the bottom of the area. KingShoutmon looked down and asked "Okay, stupid question here but... What just happened?" Imperialdramon looked back at KingShoutmon and responded "It appears that they might have been victorious..." The others were about to cheer, but then Imperialdramon said "But the price of victory... Was too great a cost." Sakuyamon then asked "What are talking about? They probably just used a large laser beam or something. I'm sure they're fine." As the barrier unveiled itself, it seemed the only one left inside... Was Gallantmon. The yellow Gallantmon saw this, and thought to himself "Oh no... I should've seen this coming..." While staring at the sight wide-eyed. Henry immediately realized what had happened and didn't know what to say about this...

* * *

Earlier inside the arena...

Ocassionally Gallantmon and MagnaGarurumon were taking pot shots at Alphamon, who had no idea how fast they were going. Although, now it seemed that they had Alphamon in a corner. "Give it all we got with our next rush?" Gallantmon asked MagnaGarurumon who answered "Why do you ask stupid questions?" They then rushed at the Royal Knight, who surprisingly saw it coming and said "ENOUGH!" Before grabbing Gallantmon by the neck, and punching MagnaGarurumon to the ground. Just for good measure, he fired another energy blast at him. Gallantmon glared at Alphamon, and tried elbowing his arm and kicking him... Only for those hits to do absolutely nothing to him. "What?! How?!" Gallantmon asked, wondering why his attacks aren't doing anything to him. "Because Gallantmon, my improvements are far beyond that of which your human is capable of..." Alphamon said, full knowing that it would anger Simon. When he went to slice his arm off, Alphamon increased the pressure on Gallantmon's neck. He cried out in pain, but was slowly succumbing to the attempt on his life.

"You're lucky that my master wishes for you to be alive... Otherwise, I would've ended you and your pitiful partner here and now." Alphamon said, preparing another beam of energy for Gallantmon. However, he felt arms and legs grasp him. And when he turned around, he saw MagnaGarurumon, glowing an eerie shade of blue. "Bastard... That, is my son you're strangling. And for that, I give you what you wanted to give me... Oblivion." Simon looked at MagnaGarurumon in worry. "What are you-?" Gallantmon was about to ask, only for MagnaGarurumon fall to the bottom. "I see... You are content with being a Martyr... Then I too am content with my death at your hands... Legendary warrior..." Alphamon said to MagnaGarurumon before he closed his eyes... And exploded. Gallantmon witnessing it, could only stare in shock. As though he were watching a train wreck. "No... Dad... Why...?" Gallantmon asked in sadness. He then saw the torso of MagnaGarurumon on the bottom, and flew down to pick it up. "Dad! Don't worry! I'll heal you! Just hang on!" Simon shouted before trying to heal his father.

[ **Cue Fire Emblem Fates ost Warmth is Gone** ]

Unfortunately, the spiral power that heals himself and others... Wouldn't work on Kittan. "Why? I already lost mom... I'm not gonna lose you too! So heal dammit! HEAL!" MagnaGarurumon looked up at Gallantmon trying to heal him. "Simon... I know you survived worse... But this is the end of the line for me." Kittan said to his son who responded "But why? Why does it always have to be this way?! Why can't you just live for Mom's sake?!" Kittan then put his hand on Simon's cheek and said "C'mon... Don't be that way. You gotta remember... When things are at their worst, look logic in the eye... And give it the biggest middle finger you could think of. And tell it to piss off. That's the way we always roll." Simon felt tears roll down his eyes as he saw this... And responded "Okay dad... I'll remember that. I'll make sure that logic never has it's way. And I won't ever lose my way! In this moment, you will have lived and died as the baddest motherfucker on planet earth. I promise... You'll see mom when you pass on. I swear it on my life..." Kittan gave a weak laugh and responded "Watch... Your... Language... Boy..." Before he finally faded away. And in that moment, Simon felt that his resolve was weakening... But he wouldn't cry... Not until victory is his.

"Kittan..." Leeron said somberly. Leyte was shocked to hear that Kittan was the one who died here, and cried into Dayaka's chest. Everybody looked at Gallantmon, out of worry. Beelzemon approached him and put a hand on his shoulder. "I know that this was difficult, but we have to move on..." Beelzemon and by extension Nia said to Simon, who responded "I get it. We'll finish this... And then we'll go home and make a memorial for him... Next to mom." Mr. Asagi and the other Legendary warriors felt anger, as they found out once again... One of their own has passed away. "Just like always... We have to keep going. Otherwise, they would probably berate us for being such idiots." Erwin said to Mr. Asagi and Gai. Imperialdramon had berated himself for thinking that it was his fault... But in actuality, he knew that it wasn't. "Everyone... From here on, your only objective... Is to survive. That way... We can honor his memory." Simon said to everyone somberly before he cut a hole into Yggdrasil's tree. "Let's end this... Right here... Right now..." Simon had said before everyone entered the tree besides the mercenaries aboard the ship and Kiriha.

[ **End Warmth is Gone** ]

* * *

Inside the tree, Simon and Guilmon split from their merged form along with Takato and his Guilmon. It seemed that there was no one present within the tree. Although, Simon could sense an extremely deadly force watching their every move. It was either his own future self... Or it was Yggdrasil. When Simon saw that there was an open staircase leading upwards, he figured something. "Henry... I'm gonna need you to lead this Motley cru until I get back... Do you think you can handle it?" Simon said to Henry who looked down at him from MegaGargomon's height and responded "Of course I can. Isn't that one of the reasons you helped train me?" Simon shrugged his shoulders, while he and Guilmon along with Takato and his Guilmon climbed up the stairs. However, the minute he left... The figure of Yggdrasil appeared right in front of everyone. "Welcome... To your doom, Tamers... I have been waiting a long time for this moment, and now... It's finally here." Yggdrasil said before Beelzemon fired a round at his face, which actually damaged him. "Oh, don't worry... I can assure that I am no drone. Nor am I a projection... I myself, am Yggdrasil. This is my true body, and this will be the last battle any of you will ever fight." Omnimon looked at his former master and glared at him.

Imperialdramon then asked "Tell us this Yggdrasil, why do you offer your service to this monster?! It makes no sense!" Yggdrasil then responded "It is because he has given my life meaning! The meaning of finding a higher purpose than just serving the needs of the Digital World, and your pitiful resistance! I have to admit Imperialdramon, the minute you shot me with your best attack, I genuinely thought that I would reach death at your hands... But, you had wasted your power on me at my weakest... But now, I am much stronger than any of you could ever hope to be!" Imperialdramon didn't need to hear any more and prepared his blade for battle. KingShoutmon then said "You are the only thing standing between me, and becoming a righteous Digimon King! It may sound selfish, but once I defeat you... I'll bring peace to the Digital World!" Yggdrasil then held out his hands on either side and said "Then by all means... Come and take me down... From here, you look like mere weaklings..." He then exuded some dark aura, before falling into a pit of dark energy.

Simon and the others meanwhile, were busy climbing up some stairs... Before they finally reached the top... Just to see Grima sitting on his throne, looking at the new gauntlets that Alphamon's data gave him. "Ah... If I had thought of this cycles ago... Then, I would have known what it's like to have a Digimon's power at my disposal. Sadly though, this is the last time we will be having this meeting... Simon Ackerman..." Grima said before lifting himself off the throne and approaching Simon, who then stepped closer to him. "I don't care how many times we've had this dance Grima... One way, or another... This, is going to end. With you on the ground... Dead. And with all of us going home." Simon said to Grima who then laughed at him. "Don't bother. Besides, you already lost the minute that seed was placed inside of your hand. I shall toy with you a bit, and then use that seed's power to take that body of yours and use it to finally destroy everything that ever stood in my way!" Simon then glared at Grima, while it seemed that a large surge of aura leaked out from the two.

Green and black... Takato looked at the two and realized that yes, it truly is where his dad made his final stand... But how it would end this time... Is something he didn't know. Back down in the center, Henry and co. had wondered what kind of creature would emerge from that pit. However, a giant hand covered in some kind of metal appeared and grasped the edge. The hand itself appeared to be the size of MegaGargomon, who then looked up to see that Yggdrasil had indeed become a giant. His legs seemed to remain below the edge. "Now then, young Tamers... What shall you do against such power?! Will you falter, or will you show your fake bravado before me?" Yggdrasil asked the group, who then got into fighting stances, with Sakuyamon and Beelzemon standing on MegaGargomon's shoulders, KingShoutmon standing on top of ZekeGreymon's back, Seraphimon, Ophanimon and Cherubimon all lined up together like a triangle, HerculesKabuterimon carrying Rosemon in his hand... Who prepared her whip. Hououmon, who stood with Omnimon and Imperialdramon and KaiserGreymon, AncientBeatmon and AncientSphinxmon standing side by side ready to strike. "Fine then, come... Sons and Daughters of man... I shall give you the death you came all this way to receive...

* * *

[ **Cue Persona 4 ost Mist** ]

Grima extended his hand and unleashed a barrage of blasts, aimed at Simon and co. Though Simon and Takato were skilled enough to deflect the blasts with their blades, both Guilmons had to run in a zig-zag pattern, just so that Grima couldn't hope to hit them. However, when Simon got close enough to Grima to strike with his sword, the fell dragon pulled out Alphamon's blade and blocked Falchion's assault. Grima had given Simon a slasher smile, as though knowing he couldn't possibly reach him. He then decided to use his power to move the blade, and try slicing at Takato... Who kept it at bay with his sword. Though Grima himself, was far from open. He had made portals nearby the Digimon, and shot beams through each of them, and thus giving them a dodging challenge. "Now, what will you do Simon?" Grima asked, condescending Simon who then went into a ballistic charge at Grima, who was smirking the whole time the two were fighting. Meanwhile, down with Yggdrasil, MegaGargomon had fired several parts of his arsenal at the supposed god. Sakuyamon had erected barriers when he would strike at them, Beelzemon had fired several bullets but settled on the arm cannon. All three Archangels were synchronized in their attacks, hoping to break through whatever defense the pseudo-god had.

KaiserGreymon, along with the other Legendary warriors had deflected some more blows from Yggdrasil... Though that didn't stop Gai from getting the occasional pot shot. Omnimon and Imperialdramon were slashing at the tendrils Yggdrasil would throw at them, and Omnimon decided to try and launch an Omega Blast... To which Imperialdramon, KingShoutmon and ZekeGreymon opted to cover before he fired. "You fools think that you can damage me... How pitiful... No matter how strong your attacks are, Lord Grima's power is what's giving me this defense. You could not hope to pierce it with that kind of strength, now could you?" Yggdrasil said, until he saw that Omnimon had fired an Omega Blast onto the barrier, which ultimately disabled it. And with that opening, MegaGargomon and Beelzemon fired their best attacks... Which seemed to actually damage the deity. Yggdrasil however, didn't really seem all that impressed. "Very well then... You've dug your graves..." Yggdrasil said before deciding to unleash his most powerful technique... Which proceeded to blind the Tamers at first, but then deal a severe amount of damage on them...

[ **End Mist** ]

* * *

Simon wondered what that explosion could've been, but Grima knew. "It seems we're at that point already... Now then, I think it's time our little game ends here boy." Grima said to Simon before raising his hand up, and using his power... He used the blade to pin Takato to a wall, and incapacitated both Guilmons. "No! Damn you!" Simon shouted before charging at Grima with rage in his eyes, so much so that the seed within his arm responded, and suddenly Simon's whole body stopped mere inches away from Grima's face. "You forget boy... I have complete control over your body." Grima said to Simon, who was trying to get out of his power... Only for his right hand to drop Falchion. Both Guilmons watched helplessly as Simon was slowly succumbing to Grima's power. He forced Simon to raise his left hand, and Grima proceeded to remove the glove covering it. Grima put his right hand on Simon's left and said "Now then, I shall merge with your body... And end everything with this new power!" Simon screamed in agony, as he felt someone entering his head and causing him to almost fall to the floor in pain. Grima smiled at this sight, seeing the boy in pain...

Before he would proceed to cause him further pain, just like in the other cycles that this took place. Meanwhile, it seemed that everyone was down for the count, and Yggdrasil was merely waiting for Grima to arrive with his new body. MegaGargomon seemed to take the worst of the damage, since he was the biggest out of all the Digimon present. But everyone else suffered significant damage as well. Leeron, Dayaka, Leyte and Kiriha all looked at the giant hole that Yggdrasil created... And could only stare in shock. And they saw that a dark spiral was going downwards onto the tree, and assumed that Simon could possibly be involved up there. "Don't you dare give up Ackerman... You gave us hope! You brought us back to our homes...! Now how about we help you back home too!" Kiriha said wanting Simon not to quit. Leeron and the others looked at Kiriha and figured to cheer on Simon as well. Inside the data cores, each of the Tamers in their worn out state, could do nothing but cheer him on as well. Henry and Nia especially. Grima had started laughing arrogantly, but the true battle wasn't taking place outside, but rather inside Simon's mind...

The inside wasn't that of a white void, but rather a pitch black void that seemed to have a very small amount of water, present around it. There, Simon stood wondering where he was. But, once the realization sunk in... He didn't give up. He surprisingly started walking in a straight line, hoping that he'll find what he's looking for. "What are you doing? Just give up. This is the part where you sink into despair, and accept your defeat!" Grima said to him inwardly. However, Simon smiled and responded "I'm sorry, just who the hell do you think I am?! I'm Simon Ackerman! Son of the Legendary Kittan Ackerman, Warrior of Light! And Clara Ackerman, Warrior of Ice! If you thought I'd give up now, just because the situation became dire... Then you picked the wrong man." Grima was angered by this declaration and asked "But, Kittan had died! All of your friends are lying on the ground, waiting for death to come! Surely you can't believe that they have any chance of winning now!"

Simon then answered "No, they're still alive. I know that they're just waiting for that inspirational moment, when they get their second wind. And then... Only then, will Yggdrasil truly feel their wrath. And I know my dad is gone, but so what?! I'm not quitting just because my father died. That would be spitting on his very image. But I'm guessing that, you really don't know me at all do ya!? I had one dragon influence my life enough! Another one would be outright shameful!" Grima was shocked to hear all this, coming from the person he so otherwise controlled almost effortlessly. Simon saw a light nearby and said "See... If the previous me had simply looked for this light, you would have lost. And now, I believe it's time to bring you down for good... You stupid dragon!" He then ran towards the light, and appeared to have full control over his body. Simon then grabbed Grima's hand and headbutted him away. "Ow, Dammit! I swear, I should learn by now that nobody wins with headbutts!" Simon said before looking at the now visible seed in his hand. He grabbed it, and pulled it straight out of his arm... And then proceeded to crush it in his right hand. He panted for a bit, while his healing factor worked on healing the damage in his left arm...

"So then... On a scale of one to ten... How screwed are you now?" Simon asked Grima in a smug manner, that the Fell Dragon was all too familiar with. It was his own ego, but this time... It was biting him back. Guilmon had gotten up and went to Simon to help him. "You okay Simon?" Guilmon asked his Tamer whom responded "Yeah... Let's combine and end this once and for all." They then used a spiral matrix evolution, to once again transform into Gallantmon Crimson Mode. Takato meanwhile, had finally sliced the Alphamon blade in half and combined with his own Guilmon to become his own Gallantmon. "Sorry I'm late dad..." Takato said to Simon who responded "No need to worry, you're right on time." Grima felt quite overwhelmed by the two Mega Level Digimon, wielding his weakness. Meanwhile, down below... Henry had smirked within his data sphere, and flared up his power in front of Yggdrasil. "What's this? I thought your energy had been exhausted after that attack! What's going on here?!" Just as MegaGargomon was getting up, the others felt they had their heroic second wind.

Sakuyamon stood on MegaGargomon's shoulder, and fired off multiple light based projectiles at the behemoth. Seraphimon, Ophanimon and Cherubimon all had a similar aura surrounding them... And they fired a combination beam at Yggdrasil, who tried countering with his barrier... To no avail. KingShoutmon, Beelzemon and ZekeGreymon all shot laser beams or streams of fire at Yggdrasil, who felt like he was gradually being pushed back. "Kittan, is still with us in spirit... So at the very least... We should honor that!" KaiserGreymon said before signalling the other Legendary Warriors to rise up and fired a trinity beam at Yggdrasil, like the three Archangels. Imperialdramon and Omnimon charged at Yggdrasil, swords ready. Yggdrasil was prepared to block the two Royal Knights, but then MegaGargomon fired missiles at him... Just as a distraction. Which was more than enough to turn his attention away from Imperialdramon and Omnimon's attacks, which ended up piercing through his armor and inflicted a fatal wound onto the false deity...

The two Gallantmons were busy dealing major blows to Grima, who seemed to feel a burning sensation on him. His wounds from the Falchion attacks begun to fester, and soon would cause him to fade from existence. "Give up Grima! Your days are done!" Simon said to Grima. "You'll no longer be able to corrupt the people I love most! And you'll fall, along with all of your plans!" Takato added to Simon's statement. Grima looked at the two with malice in his eyes. However, he looked behind himself, and an idea formed in his head... An awfully, awful idea indeed... He then started laughing at the two, which confused them both. "Have you now? All of my plans foiled... By mere teenagers... Oh how I should've seen that coming... For years on end, we've done this same dance boy. Your dulcet tones, and your moves are all the same. Your nature however... Appears to have changed. It seems as though you've realized what it takes just to beat me. Your belief in others reminds me so much of the bastard who took me down with it..." Grima started ranting, to the point in which Simon asked Takato "Tell me something, am I really this preachy?" Takato then answers "Well, Emir did tell me that was one of your weaker aspects. You liked to talk too much."

Simon sighs and says "Let's just finish him before he finishes speaking." Takato nodded in response and the two charged at Grima while he was still talking... Only for him to create a smokescreen in front of them. "Dammit! Why does he have to have my common sense too?!" Simon said, trying to find him. "Oh yes, I did forget that detail... I really shouldn't talk all that much... So why don't I show you?" Grima said to Simon before falling deeper into the tree. Meanwhile, Yggdrasil looked at the Tamers and Legendary warriors with fear in his eyes. However, he saw that Grima was falling into the same pit he's in and asked "Master? Is it time?" Grima smirked and answered "The time has come... To end this..." Yggdrasil then felt his own power flow back into him, and Grima vice versa... There was a noticeable amount of dark aura spewing out of the pit, and the two Gallantmon jumped down to the others. "Simon... What just happened?" Henry asked Simon who responded "No time! Get out now!" Before everyone decided to bust a hole through the tree, and exited out.

* * *

Leeron got into communications with Simon and asked "Simon... What's happening to Yggdrasil right now?" Simon sighed and answered "Well, unless we have a tree busting nuke in that ship... Let's just say we have no choice but to watch the bad guy power up." Omnimon then asked Gallantmon "How long does it usually take for Shonen villains to transform?" Gallantmon looks on and responds "Usually about half, or the entire episode's length." Beelzemon sighed and asked "Does anybody have a deck of cards?" Kiriha, in the ship then says "I've got one... But I don't think it'll last long outside." Gallantmon sighs and is about to say something... Until they finally see what Yggdrasil and Grima have become. It appears they've become a giant dragon mecha, with the branches of the tree transforming into metallic limbs. Though this form was a very dark shade of purple. The head itself had two sets of horns, both jutting out into opposite directions. There were multiple eyes, and the torso was also as metallic as the limbs. On his back, was a very reddish aura that seemed to exude with a large amount of power. On the forehead, Grima stood alone... Waiting for the Tamers to try and attack.

"So then, the Digimon Tamers have finally met their match have they?" Yggdrasil asked the group while condescending them. Grima on top then said "No... They're likely going to try bombarding us with attacks that will have little to no effect on us... So, let's give them our own bombardment first." Suddenly, Simon sees that Yggdrasil was preparing to bombard our heroes... And Simon then said "Guys, how about we get out of range... By GETTING DOWN!" Before everyone, including the crew in the ship headed straight down for the ocean below Yggdrasil's feet. Though, that part was quite strange, especially in this kind of environment. Once they entered, Simon noticed something about the area around them. And closed his eyes to concentrate. "You know, this is still not all that surprising..." Leeron said to Leyte and Dayaka, who both gave him sketchy looks.

Every one of the Digimon Tamers looked at Gallantmon, who seemed to be focusing on something. "Yeah, I think it'd be a stupid question to assume that Simon just gave up." KingShoutmon said to everyone who nodded in agreement. "So fearless leader, what's the plan?" Seraphimon asked Gallantmon who opened his eyes and answered "Well, TK I've got great news! What we're in, is liquified Spiral energy! Which basically means, we can use this however we please... Just to take on Grima!" With that statement, everybody felt like there might be a way to do this after all. "All we'll need, is Shoutmon to do the ultimate king Xros and then we're good." Gallantmon said to everyone, who then looked at KingShoutmon who was confused about the whole thing. "Look I know I could do a few people at once... But how am I supposed to handle everyone, including the ship!?" Gallantmon giggled at Shoutmon's skepticism, and said "Shoutmon... There's enough Spiral energy here for you to do all that, and practically combine with every Digimon in existence. So yeah, this... This is nothing compared to what you're capable of! So believe in the me who believes in you!"

KingShoutmon then asked Gallantmon "Okay, what are you on?" Gallantmon then said "Well, it was something my dad used to say... Whenever he needed to inspire everyone. It basically means I believe in you." KingShoutmon then paused for a bit and shouted "THEN WHY DIDN'T YOU SAY THAT TO BEGIN WITH?!" Gallantmon sighed and responded "Just... Just do the thing." KingShoutmon then crossed his arms, and an X symbol appeared on his hand. Takato saw all this, and said "Yeah... We'll win this one... I know it!" However, he himself seemed to have small yellow orbs fly off of him and his Gallantmon. Beelzemon was the only one to notice this, but said nothing about it. Suddenly, everyone started glowing and gravitated towards KingShoutmon... Including the spaceship... For the first time ever... Every single Digimon Tamer and Legendary Warrior are finally going to be fighting... As one singular being. Though, it appeared that Yggdrasil and Grima were far from finished with their barrage.

* * *

"Shall we fire another shot?" Yggdrasil asked Grima who responded "Yes, but let's make it one they couldn't possibly dodge." Yggdrasil then prepared a large sphere that eclipsed at least a quarter of the whole area. However, when they fired it at the ocean, a giant hand appeared and grasped the sphere... Before pushing it directly into Yggdrasil's face. When the smoke cleared, both false deities got a better look at their opponent. Which appeared to be a giant crimson figure, with a mixture of many of the colors each of the Digimon used to make it. Though, Gallantmon appeared to be the head, there was a V symbol on the chest to signify where Shoutmon's place in this behemoth's body. A mixture of Beelzemon's, Ophanimon's, Seraphimon's and Gallantmon's wings were on the back. Most of the armor was comprised of Sakuyamon and MegaGargomon's plating. He then summoned rose petals that surrounded Yggdrasil and shot beams at him. "What!? Who are you?!" The new digimon then pondered that thought.

And then Taiki started saying "We are, those who you've wronged!" Henry added "Those whom you have subjugated! And those whom you have tried breaking!" Nia added "Those who have fought against karma's cycle, and continue to face it today!" Daisuke added "Those who fight even when the universe is our opponent!" Simon then finished saying "And, we are those whose futures you tried to destroy!" Everybody at the same time then said "More importantly, we are, THE DIGIMON TAMERS!" The Digimon then said "Tengen Toppa KingShoutmon!" But just for one more, everyone shouted "JUST WHO THE HELL, DO YOU THINK WE ARE?!" Grima and Yggdrasil couldn't believe what they were seeing right now, and Yggdrasil asked "Lord Grima! How is this possible?!" Grima then answered "I should've known... The spiral ocean you occupied... They used it in conjunction to Shoutmon... Damn you all..." Tengen Toppa KingShoutmon then did some stretches and said "Well, when you're finished saying "It's inconceivable!" Why don't we dance? And get this fight over with?!" He then got into a fighting pose, and charged directly at Yggdrasil.

[ **Cue Sorairo Days by Shoko Nakagawa** ]

The two started throwing many punches at one another, seeming to get into a rush clash... Though that didn't last for long. However, as the fight progressed on and on... Grima seemed to be losing ground. "You... I should know all your moves! How am I at a disadvantage?!" Grima said to himself, before realizing that other people are also using their fighting styles, in conjunction to Simon's. "Shut the hell up about knowing me! You couldn't possibly understand me based on a few assumptions!" Simon shouted to Grima who kept on throwing tendrils, that were blocked by sparks of electricity powered by AncientBeatmon and HerculesKabuterimon. The combined Digimon then combined Gungnir with KaiserGreymon's blade, and put Blutgang's power into Falchion. "Now then, how about I show you something?!" Simon said to Grima, who used his blades to try and block the attack. Although, Alphamon's blades weren't doing much in terms of actual defense. Each blade broke, and drew the combined Digimon much closer to Grima.

Simon then shouted "You don't understand how life works! I'm paving a way for those who will see tomorrow, using the will of those who have fallen. Those whom you've denied their hopes and dreams! All you've done, is merely the catalyst to strengthen the resolve of those dreams! Man may sometimes be cowardly! But, they can be brave too! I believe in a world where everyone can see their potential, just like I can! And that drill, is something that's going to carry us forward! It'll carry us farther than space! It's gonna... IT'S GONNA CARRY US THROUGH THE HEAVENS!" The combined Digimon then gives one last charge, and he utterly destroys Yggdrasil's arms... With the tree disintigrating, Grima was practically defenseless. Simon took this opportunity to jump out and fly straight into Grima. He then shouted "FINAL... JUSTICE!" Before he pierced right Grima... Leaving a giant gaping hole in Grima's body. That hole, caused the festering wounds to finally spread throughout the body... Leaving only the head remaining...

[ **End Sorairo Days** ]

Yggdrasil has been reduced to nothingness, and Grima was nothing but a mere head. Gallantmon went up to Grima's head and looked at him. "I guess, in some way you did know me... But, the reason you lost... Was because you underestimated me. A.k.a., mistake number one." Simon said to Grima who's influence had finally faded away into nothingness as well. The skeleton in the Digital World, next to the Digimon Sovereigns had finally dissolved completely. "They did it... I can't believe they actually did it..." Zhuqiaomon said to himself, while the other Sovereigns were grateful for the end result. Word had begun spreading immediately throughout the Digital World, that Yggdrasil has finally been destroyed. There was joy to be had on this day, and eventually this spread to EDEN... And finally to the agents of Hypnos. "Yamaki... It's finally over..." Janyu said to Yamaki who responded "Yeah... It finally is over." In the dimension, everybody de-fused back into their regular mega forms. Gallantmon approached the group... And saw that the ship was still very much intact. "Well guys, we not only saved our world... But we also saved the whole damn galaxy! Who's up for Chinese?!" Leyte said regarding the whole thing.

Everybody gave her some weird looks, before they opened a portal to head back home. Gallantmon somewhat hesitated, to VictoryGreymon's surprise. "C'mon Simon! We're celebrating!" VictoryGreymon said before being dragged by ZeedGarurumon. "Just give me a minute! I'll be right there!" Simon said in response, before he looked back at Takato and Guilmon, who separated into their initial forms. "C'mon you guys! Let's get home!" Simon shouted to the two. However, Beelzemon was waiting as well... Knowing full well what would happen. "Dad... We can't go home." Takato said to Gallantmon who split into their normal selves, responded "What are you talking about?" Beelzemon then split back into Nia and Impmon... Who sported very somber expressions. They approached Simon and Guilmon, before Nia put a hand on Simon's shoulder saying "Take a look at him. Simon." Simon wasn't sure... Until he saw Takato and Guilmon going transparent. "W-w-what? But, why?" Simon asked before placing his hands on Takato's face. "Dad... this is the price for changing the future." Takato said, while trying not to cry himself.

"When I saw Takato fading away, I thought that it was one of those things." Nia said before putting her hand on her son's shoulder. "No! You're not leaving us! I'll use my spiral energy! I'll bring you back! Just... Just hold on!" Simon shouted in denial. Nia herself was trying to stay grounded in reality, but still feeling the denial stick hit her repeatedly. "Mom... Dad... Uncle Impmon... I'm glad that I got to meet the real you. And not what the future was like." Takato said. As for Guilmon... "I'm sorry daddy... But, this is goodbye..." The yellow Guilmon said to his father whom responded "I know... But, I'm sure I'll see you back home." His son then nodded and finally faded. Meanwhile, Simon and Nia were both hugging Takato as hard as they could, hoping to keep him from fate's cruel grasp.

"Dad... It's just like Guilmon said, you'll see me back home." Takato said to his parents, before fading away. Simon felt Takato slip through his grasp along with Nia, and the two just looked at each other. "Simon... I'm sorry..." Nia said to Simon who hugged her with tears in his eyes responding "No... It's not your fault... You weren't certain... That's all. And you didn't want to make me cry. So how about this... We'll go home, and we'll live out our lives... Okay?" Nia nodded before the two, and their parnters entered the portal. With sadness in both their eyes. Thinking about the losses they've witnessed. Simon was now without an immediate family, effectively becoming an orphan. Although, he was still able to live by himself and therefore didn't need to end up in another family. Though, he knew that he still had all three of his families...

* * *

[ **Cue Persona 3 ost Memories of you** ]

(In red/green backdrop, there seemed to be a Silouhette of Simon in the background. Images of him proposing to Nia in front of all the Tamers are seen)  
 _ **When the wind rings high  
and the light hits your eyes,  
time for one last ride off to dreamland.**_

(Behind the silouhette of Simon lies Gallantmon Crimson mode, with both Falchion and Blutgang in his hands...)  
 _ **Don't you worry, I'll be there  
to remember you, dear  
Your laugh, your smile  
All your happiness and your tears.**_

 _ **And it's hard some days,**_  
 _ **but I'll be okay. 'Cause even when it's tough  
you give me just enough  
so I can keep on goin'.**_

 _ **When I close my eyes,**_  
 _ **and I dream at night  
I feel you in my arms.**_

(A silhouette of Henry appears, as he's programming along with Terriermon... Whom is still carefree.)  
 _ **Safe and sound,  
here with me...  
Everything we found,  
Makes me sing...**_  
(Behind the Silhouette of Henry is MegaGargomon, in his fighting pose.)

 _ **Night after night you paved the way,**_  
 _ **Put up the fight to save the day now you're a hero.**_  
 _ **You brought the light that made today perfect and bright,**_  
 _ **So dream away now you're an angel.**_

(A silouhette of Rika drawing what appears to be a picture, of her and Henry kissing, with Renamon watching over her.)  
 _ **Sleeping in peace,  
baby, you'll be,  
Surrounded by my love through all eternity.**_

(Behind Rika's silhouette is Sakuyamon, holding her staff and prepared for battle.)  
 _ **Lay down your head and close your eyes,**_  
 _ **Right off to bed to sleep tonight, I will be watchin'.**_  
 _ **Thinking of you, the times we had**_  
 _ **all of the good and all the bad, never forgotten,**_  
 _ **Seal it with a kiss,**_  
 _ **promise you this...**_  
 _ **I'll love you till the end of time, forever.**_

(A silhouette of Nia a few years later, finally marrying Simon and becoming Nia Teppelin Ackerman. With Impmon crying.)  
(Behind said Silhouette is Beelzemon Blast mode, pointing his arm cannon in front of him.)

(Next is a silhouette of Daisuke cooking noodles with V-Mon, who actually wanted to help out this time around. And Ken looking for some detective work, with Wormmon to practice.)  
 _ **When I'm out downtown**_  
 _ **I can still hear the sound**_  
 _ **Of a voice that sounds familiar.**_  
 _ **Lift my head and turn around**_  
 _ **You're nowhere to be found. Just a big blue sky**_  
 _ **And my teardrops on the ground.**_

(Behind their silhouettes is Imperialdramon X, with his sword planted into the ground. Ready to draw it.)  
 _ **But I'll be okay 'Cause I know someday...**_  
 _ **That even though you're gone**_  
 _ **I know it won't be long**_  
 _ **Til I can see you again**_  
 _ **As the seasons change**_  
 _ **In our special place**_  
 _ **I'll wait right here for you.**_

(Next is a silhouette of Hikari, taking psychiatric classes, with Gatomon watching from the distance...)  
 _ **Won't forget...**_  
 _ **Any part...**_  
 _ **Every moment set...**_  
 _ **In my heart...**_  
(And behind that Silhouette is Ophanimon with her Javelin and Shield equipped...)

 _ **Who would have known that you would be**_  
 _ **Someone I'd hold so dear to me**_  
 _ **You were a treasure.**_  
 _ **Part of a life I spent with you**_  
 _ **Forever bright, forever true**_  
 _ **I will remember.**_  
 _ **Road may be long...**_  
 _ **I'll be strong...**_  
 _ **I promise you that I'll hold onto that feeling**_

(Next is a silhouette of Takeru with Patamon on his head, trying to come up with a good story to write.)  
 _ **You stuck with me until the end**_  
 _ **We were a team, you were my friend**_  
 _ **You held me tight and never let go, never let go**_  
 _ **It's like you're here right by side you're part of my soul I'm never alone.**_  
 _ **Cause baby, I will never leave you...**_  
(Behind that silhouette is Seraphimon, whom has his arms crossed and is prepared for anything.)

(Next is a Silhouette of Suzie, whom was dancing around as though she were a conjurer. Lopmon had decided to dance in synchronization with her.)  
(Behind her silhouette is Cherubimon, with her arms outstretched... Embracing everyone...)

(Next is a silhouette of Taiki and Kiriha helping Shoutmon up to the throne, with Shoutmon embracing Taiki before saying a small goodbye. Though Greymon decided to stay with Kiriha.)  
 _ **Night after night you paved the way,**_  
 _ **Put up the fight to save the day Now you're a hero.**_  
 _ **You brought the light that made today**_  
 _ **Perfect and bright, so dream away**_  
 _ **Now you're an angel.**_  
 _ **Sleeping in peace...**_  
 _ **Baby, you'll be...**_  
 _ **Surrounded by my love through all eternity.**_

(Behind that Silouhette is KingShoutmon and ZekeGreymon, though Shoutmon was standing on top of the behemoth.)  
 _ **Lay down your head and close your eyes**_  
 _ **Right off to bed to sleep tonight, I will be watching.**_  
 _ **Thinking of you, the times we had**_  
 _ **All of the good and all the bad**_  
 _ **Never forgotten.**_  
 _ **Seal it with a kiss...**_  
 _ **Promise you this...**_  
 _ **I'll love you till the end of time, forever.**_

(Last but not least, is a silhouette of Taichi and Agumon spending time with Sora and Biyomon...)  
 _ **Who would have known that you would be**_  
 _ **Someone I'd hold so dear to me,**_  
 _ **You were a treasure.**_  
 _ **Part of a life I spent with you**_  
 _ **Forever bright, forever true I will remember.**_  
 _ **Road may be long...**_  
 _ **I'll be strong...**_  
 _ **I promise you that I'll hold onto that feeling...**_

(Behind that silhouette is VictoryGreymon, with his giant sword leaning on his shoulder...)  
 _ **You stuck with me until the end**_  
 _ **We were a team, you were my friend**_  
 _ **You held me tight and never let go, never let go**_  
 _ **It's like you're here right by my side you're part of my soul...**_  
 _ **I'm never alone...**_  
 _ **Cause baby, I will never leave you...**_

[ **End Memories of you...]**

* * *

Ten years later...

Now, you might be wondering... What happens now? Well... It's probably going to be a tad lame, but let's sum up what happens to everybody... Henry goes on to be a programmer along with Terriermon, just like his dad, but ended up spending time managing the dojo his sensei had given him. Rika had become an average mangaka, writing stories about many interesting events, though these are ficitional representations they convey how the author feels throughout her day to day life. Renamon meanwhile still kept a close eye on her, but also had to keep a close eye on the now evolved Gigimon. Suzie had finally gotten that acting gig that she always wanted, though she didn't mind the dresses she wore... She would still practice martial arts in her spare time, with Lopmon helping her through every step. Nia had gone on to be the police comissioner after Erwin ended up retiring from the position. He would then help guide her whenever she needed advice. Impmon had stuck by her, and whenever she was needed, she would be there. Ken had also gone into the police business, but as a detective. He and Wormmon had helped the Shadow Tamer on many cases, as well as solving their own morning cases.

Daisuke would go on to finally open a small noodle cart, with V-Mon assisting him. Jun said that it's like his legs were meant to help push one of those things. Hikari had gone on to become a psychologist, just like she said she would. And has often times analyzed herself with Gatomon's assistance... Still pondering her tendencies towards Daisuke. Sora along with Taichi had become soccer coaches for their respective districts, Odaiba and Shinjuku. Though they would often be in competition, it was more friendly than anything. That didn't stop Biyomon and Agumon from finding enjoyment out of it. Taiki had gone on to do odd jobs, and actually receiving visits from Shoutmon. Kiriha went on to become a major part in his father's business... With Greymon still feeling like the parrot on Kiriha's shoulder. Koushiro had went on to become a researcher of the hidden Digi-Code within the human world, hoping to uncover the true reason why both the human world and Digital World split up. And Tentomon had decided to learn about the human world, as he went on to help out Koushiro.

Mimi had occassionally joined Koushiro on these adventures, though that was mostly because of the socializing she was able to do with everyone. Palmon was still wondering why bees were drawn to the flowers on her head, and yet Tentomon didn't seem to care about whatever's in there. Yamato's band, Knife of Day... Still seemed to be a strange band in terms of preference. Though in this case, it was mostly whether or not it was good to most people. Gabumon would sometimes request to Yamato to "Play Free Bird" on harmonica. And it took Yamato a few years to get it down, though he was curious as to where Gabumon even heard that song. Takeru had gone on to be that publisher, and would often spend quite a few nights on the keyboard, just pondering the stories he would often go through on a day to day basis. As for Simon, well... Let's just say his humble days are still ahead of him. He is seen taking his ten year old son Takato to school...

"Have a good day at school Takato!" Simon shouted to his son, who was a little hesistant to go in. Simon saw this and said "You can't do this every time a new school year starts. You're ten years old, and you have probably the best moral support a boy your age could ask for." Takato looked at his father and then said "Um... A Digimon partner, who's always there for you no matter what?" Simon nodded and responded "Well that, but you also have me and your mother. So I want you to go in there, and kick all kinds of butt!" Takato looked at Simon and said "But mom said we shouldn't fight in school..." Simon sighed and responded "You know what I mean. Just have a good day, and remember... I love you very much." Takato nodded and then ran towards the building doors. Simon looked up into the sky, and knew... That life was finally starting to look up for once...

 **The End...**


End file.
